翠

cuì

卒 + 羽

Definitions

cuì (adjective) emerald green; kingfisher blue

cuì (adjective) jade green

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 羽 represents the meaning and 卒 represents the sound.

Semantic: 羽 Phonetic: 卒

About

翠 is a phonosemantic compound composed of 羽 (yǔ, 'feathers') at the top and 卒 (zú) below. The 羽 component signals a connection to birds, while 卒 supplies the sound without contributing to the meaning. Originally, the character referred to the kingfisher, particularly the brilliant blue-green feathers of the female, which were prized for decorative jewelry and inlay. The feathers' distinctive hue proved so salient that the term shifted from naming the bird and its plumage to becoming an adjective for that very color. It now describes a vivid emerald or bluish-green, commonly applied to fine jade and lush vegetation.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这片树叶非常翠绿。

Zhè piàn shùyè fēichāng cuìlǜ.

This leaf is very emerald green.

翠鸟站在河边的树枝上。

Cuìniǎo zhàn zài hé biān de shùzhī shàng.

The kingfisher is standing on a branch by the river.

雨后，远处的山峦显得格外苍翠。

Yǔ hòu, yuǎn chù de shānluán xiǎndé géwài cāngcuì.

After the rain, the distant mountains appear exceptionally verdant.

她戴着一只翡翠手镯，晶莹剔透。

Tā dàizhe yī zhǐ fěicuì shǒuzhuó, jīngyíng tītòu.

She is wearing a jade bracelet, which is crystal clear and translucent.

阳光透过翠绿的竹林，洒下斑驳的光影。

Yángguāng tòu guò cuìlǜ de zhúlín, sǎ xià bānbó de guāngyǐng.

Sunlight filters through the emerald green bamboo forest, casting dappled light and shadows.

设计师用翠色的丝绸为礼服增添了生机。

Shèjì shī yòng cuìsè de sīchóu wéi lǐfú zēngtiānle shēngjī.

The designer used jade-green silk to add vitality to the evening gown.

翡翠市场里陈列着各种雕工精美的饰品。

Fěicuì shìchǎng lǐ chénliè zhe gè zhǒng diāogōng jīngměi de shìpǐn.

Various exquisitely carved ornaments are displayed in the jade market.

他笔下那片翠色欲滴的荷塘，充满了盛夏的活力。

Tā bǐ xià nà piàn cuìsè yù dī de hétáng, chōngmǎnle shèngxià de huólì.

The lotus pond he painted, with its dripping-wet emerald green, is full of midsummer vitality.

Related Characters

Component: 卒

Component: 羽

翠