Umber is a brown colour — but not just any brown. It is the brown of soil: a heavy, slightly dark, slightly greenish-yellow brown.

Umber is Umber是 a brown colour一種棕色 but not just any brown但不是隨便一種棕色。It is它是 the brown of soil泥土的那種棕色 a heavy, slightly dark, slightly greenish-yellow brown一種厚重偏暗帶點黃綠的棕色。

The word comes from paint, and that is where you will still mostly meet it. Umber is a real earth pigment, dug out of the ground, and painters have used it for hundreds of years. You will see it on tubes of oil paint and in art books more than you will hear it in conversation.

The word comes from paint這個字源自顏料 and that is where you will still mostly meet it現在你也主要會在那裡遇到它。Umber is Umber是 a real earth pigment一種真正的土質顏料 dug out of the ground從地裡挖出來的 and painters have used it for hundreds of years畫家用了好幾百年。You will see it你會看到它 on tubes of oil paint and in art books在油畫顏料管上和美術書裡 more than you will hear it in conversation比在對話裡聽到它的機會多。

There are two named kinds, and knowing them explains the word: raw umber is the pigment straight from the earth, a cool, dull, greyish-brown; burnt umber is the same pigment heated in a fire, which turns it warmer, redder and richer. "Burnt umber" is much more famous than "umber" on its own — many English speakers know the phrase from a box of coloured pencils and could not tell you what "umber" alone means.

There are two named kinds有兩種有名字的類型 and knowing them explains the word了解它們就能懂這個字 raw umber israw umber(生赭)是 the pigment straight from the earth直接從土裡來的顏料 a cool, dull, greyish-brown一種偏冷暗沉灰棕色的 burnt umber isburnt umber(焦赭)是 the same pigment heated in a fire同一種顏料經過火燒 which turns it warmer, redder and richer讓它變得更暖更紅更濃。"Burnt umber"「Burnt umber」 than比 "umber" on its own單獨的「umber」 is much more famous有名得多 many English speakers know the phrase from a box of coloured pencils很多英語母語者是從一盒彩色鉛筆認識這個詞的 and could not tell you what "umber" alone means卻說不出單獨的umber是什麼意思

The word works as a noun ("a wall painted in umber") and as an adjective before a noun ("umber walls", "her umber eyes").

The word works as a noun這個字可以當名詞用 ("a wall painted in umber")像漆成赭色的牆 and as an adjective before a noun也可以放在名詞前面當形容詞 ("umber walls", "her umber eyes")像赭色的牆、她赭色的眼睛

Outside art and design it sounds literary — a novelist might describe an umber sky at dusk. For everyday speech, "brown" or "dark brown" is what people actually say.

Outside art and design在美術和設計領域之外 it sounds literary這個字聽起來很文學 a novelist might describe an umber sky at dusk小說家可能會用它形容黃昏時赭色的天空。For everyday speech日常說話時 "brown" or "dark brown"「brown」棕色或「dark brown」深棕色 is what people actually say才是大家真正會說的