青色
qīngsè
The English word 'cyan' is translated into Chinese as 青色 (qīngsè).
青色 refers to a color between blue and green. In classical Chinese literature, the term can represent a wide range of colors from deep blue to lush green, frequently used to describe the sky or nature. The core character 青 (qīng) denotes a spectrum that includes blue, green and cyan. For more specific shades, you might use 水蓝色 for aqua or 碧绿色 for turquoise.
Meaning: a colour between blue and green (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 青, which refers to the blue-green or cyan color spectrum and the suffix 色, which means 'color'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The suffix 色 (sè) means 'color' and is often added to a color name to form a noun. To use the word as an adjective meaning 'of the colour cyan', you can use the form 青色的.
How do you pronounce it?
qīngsè
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese color theory, 青 is one of the five primary colors, representing the element of wood and the season of spring.
- While 青色 describes a color, the character 青 is also used in the word for 'youth' 青年, linking the vibrant blue-green of nature to the prime of human life.
- A 'cyan' or 'green' face 青色 in Chinese culture can symbolize extreme anger, anxiety or fear, similar to how 'white' or 'pale' is used in English.
Examples in context
- 我最喜欢的颜色之一是青色。One of my favorite colors is cyan.
- 她的画中用了很多青色，让整幅画显得非常美丽。She used a lot of cyan in her painting, making it look incredibly beautiful.
- 这种裙子的颜色是蓝绿色的，非常时尚。This dress is cyan-colored and very fashionable.
- 请给我买一支蓝绿色的笔，谢谢。Please buy me a cyan-colored pen, thank you.
- 天空呈现出一种青色。Tiānkōng chéngxiàn chū yī zhǒng qīngsè.The sky shows a shade of cyan.
- 我喜欢这件青色的衣服。Wǒ xǐhuān zhè jiàn qīngsè de yīfu.I like this cyan clothing.
- 画上的青色非常漂亮。Huà shàng de qīngsè fēicháng piàoliang.The cyan in the painting is very beautiful.
Example conversation
晓雯 and 志强 are looking at a piece of art in a gallery.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你觉得这幅画的青色怎么样？Nǐ juéde zhè fú huà de qīngsè zěnmeyàng?What do you think of the cyan in this painting?
- 志强 Zhiqiang这种青色看起来很高级。Zhè zhǒng qīngsè kàn qǐlái hěn gāojí.This shade of cyan looks very high-end.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen是啊，志强，我也这么觉得。Shì a, Zhìqiáng, wǒ yě zhème juéde.Yes, Zhiqiang, I think so too.
- 志强 Zhiqiang我们要不要把它买下来？Wǒmen yào bù yào bǎ tā mǎi xiàlái?Should we buy it?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cyan” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
