fěi
noun #42,394

Meanings

  1. 1 (in 翡翠) jadeite; emerald-green jade
  2. 2 the red-feathered kingfisher (old)

Examples

Tā dài zhe yí zhī jīngměi de fěicuì shǒuzhuó.
She wore an exquisite jadeite bracelet.
Zhèkuài fěicuì diàozhuì yánsè bìlǜ chúnzhèng.
This jadeite pendant is a deep, pure green.

Tips

culture
is bound to 翡翠 (翡翠, 'jadeite'), China's most prized green gemstone. The word originally named the kingfisher: the red-feathered male, () the green-feathered female; the gem took its name from the bird's brilliant colors.

Components

radical
feathers
is the feather radical. The character originally named a brightly feathered kingfisher, so the feather radical points to the bird whose colors gave jadeite its name.
phonetic
fēi
not; phonetic
supplies the sound (fēi shifting to fěi). It contributes pronunciation only and no meaning here.

Stroke Order

fěi