青春

• Pinyin: qīng chūn
• Hanzi breakdown: 青 = originally a pictograph of growing plants (green, new); 春 = the season when things begin to grow (spring) — the fresh, green season of life

Meaning

Youth; youthfulness. The period of being young, often associated with energy, idealism, and vitality.

Refers both to the period of youth (roughly teenage to young adult years) and to the qualities associated with it — vigour, passion, and idealism. Common phrases include 青春期 (puberty/adolescence), 青春活力 (youthful energy), and 挥霍青春 (waste one's youth). Frequently appears in literature, songs, and motivational contexts.

Examples

1. 青春是人生中最美好的时光。 Youth is the most wonderful time in life.
2. 我们不应该浪费自己的青春。 We should not waste our youth.
3. 这部电影讲的是一群年轻人的青春故事。 This film tells the youthful story of a group of young people.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, everyday, motivational

Tone: poetic

Do Say

• 趁着青春，多去看看这个世界。(While you are young, go and see more of the world.)
• 她的脸上充满了青春的活力。(Her face is full of youthful vitality.)

Don't Say

• 我奶奶很青春 (Don't use 青春 to describe an elderly person directly — say 我奶奶心态很年轻 if you mean she is young at heart)

Origin & History

A compound of 青 (green/blue, symbolising newness and growth) and 春 (spring), together evoking the green freshness of springtime as a metaphor for youth.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal