Han character 翠

It means blue-green, lush green, or the kingfisher.

A Han dynasty dictionary describes 翠 as a bird with blue-green feathers. A reference dated 530 BCE uses the related word 翡翠 for a kingfisher cloak. These early bird-and-plumage associations help explain the later color and jade senses.

In Chinese, compounds make the reference clearer: 翠鸟 names the kingfisher, 翠绿 names a blue-green or emerald green, and 翡翠 usually means jadeite today.

Why does 翠 mean green and jade?

The jade sense grew from the kingfisher’s blue-green feathers.

In traditional character analysis, 羽, the top component meaning “feathers,” points to the bird; 卒 supplies the sound. The vivid plumage helps connect 翠’s bird sense to its color sense, while plain English “green” misses the blue-green range.

Do Chinese and Japanese readers read 翠 alike?

No: the glyph is shared, but the reading can change.

In Mandarin, 翠 is cuì in pinyin, roughly “tsway” with a falling tone. Japanese references list スイ, かわせみ (kingfisher), and みどり (green). The language and surrounding word tell you which reading is intended.

Regional CJK typefaces can draw the same Han character with different shapes. A changed outline alone does not mean the word has changed.