翠 cuì kingfisher
kingfisher; jade; emerald
How to remember 翠: 羽 feather + 卒 foot soldier = kingfisher. The boy finds a shining blue feather next to his toy foot soldier by the pond, a gift from a passing kingfisher.
Component breakdown
翠 = 羽 feather + 卒 foot soldier
- 羽 feather
- 卒 foot soldier
The boy finds a shining blue feather next to his toy foot soldier by the pond, a gift from a passing kingfisher.
How it is used
- A vivid, poetic word for jewel-like green - 翠绿 (cuìlǜ) emerald green, and the prized stone 翡翠 (fěicuì) jadeite.
- Register is literary/appreciative, used for jade, foliage, and mountains; you wouldn't call an ordinary green shirt 翠. Originally means "kingfisher," whose feathers gave the color its name.