abbr. for 海, Qinghai Province

JLPT N5 8 strokes

Words with this Kanji

Meanings and Usage

The character (qīng) primarily denotes the color blue-green or cyan, often used to describe natural elements like the sky or plants. It also metaphorically represents youth or inexperience, as seen in phrases like 涩 (qīngsè), meaning 'green' or 'naive.' Additionally, serves as an abbreviation for Qinghai Province () in China.

Common Collocations

  • (qīngsè): blue-green color, commonly used in art and nature descriptions.
  • 青春 (qīngchūn): youth, often used in contexts about young people or vitality.
  • (Qīnghǎi): Qinghai Province, a geographical name.

Usage Notes

When is used to describe color, it often implies a shade between blue and green rather than pure blue. In figurative language, can describe someone inexperienced or youthful, which is a common metaphor in Chinese. As a place name abbreviation, it is formal and mostly appears in official or geographic contexts.

Common Confusion

is sometimes confused with (lán), which means blue. tends to be more greenish-blue, while is a purer blue. Understanding this subtle difference helps in accurate color description.

Example Sentences

The sky is a beautiful scene woven with deep blue and cyan.

He is still a green (inexperienced) college freshman, full of longing for

Qinghai Province is abbreviated as 'Qing' and is located in northwest China.