绿

• Pinyin: lǜ
• Hanzi breakdown: 绿 = 纟 (silk) + 录 (phonetic component) — originally the green colour of dyed silk

Meaning

Green. The colour of grass, leaves, and growing plants.

Used to describe the colour green in everyday speech. Also appears in environmental contexts like 绿化 (greening/planting trees). In internet slang, 绿 can metaphorically refer to being cheated on, but this is informal.

Examples

1. 春天来了，树叶都变绿了。 Spring has come, and the leaves have all turned green.
2. 她穿了一件绿色的裙子。 She wore a green dress.
3. 公园里到处都是绿绿的草地。 The park is full of green grass everywhere.

Usage Guide

Context: colour, nature, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 红灯停，绿灯行。(Stop at a red light, go at a green light.)
• 这里的山很绿。(The mountains here are very green.)

Don't Say

• 不要给别人送绿色的帽子 (Don't give someone a green hat — 戴绿帽子 means being cheated on by a partner, so green hats are considered unlucky gifts)

Origin & History

Phonosemantic character: 纟 (silk radical, indicating colour of dyed silk) + 录 (phonetic component). Originally referred to the green colour of silk dye.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal