How to Write 翡 (fěi) — Meaning “green jade; kingfisher”

Imagine a kingfisher bird (羽 for feathers) that is 'not' (非) ordinary—its feathers look like precious green jade. This helps you remember both the sound fěi and the meaning of green jade.

Write the top part 非 with balanced left and right halves, keeping it not too wide. The bottom part 羽 should sit directly under 非, and be careful to write all four strokes in each half of 羽 correctly; a common mistake is making 羽 too small or misaligning it.

Unlike 翡, which uses 非 on top and means 'green jade,' the character 翔 uses 羊 (yáng) on top and means 'to soar.' 翕 uses 合 (hé) on top and means 'to close' or 'gather.' Visually, the top components are different, so focus on whether it is 非, 羊, or 合.

翡 almost always appears in the word 翡翠 (fěicuì), meaning 'jadeite' or 'emerald,' which is a very valuable green gemstone. You also see it in 翡翠色 (emerald green) and 翡翠镯子 (jadeite bracelet). Culturally, 翡翠 jade is highly treasured in China for jewelry and decoration.

Common words containing 翡 include: 翡翠 (fěi cuì) — jadeite; emerald; 翡翠色 (fěi cuì sè) — emerald green color; 翡翠镯子 (fěi cuì zhuó zi) — jadeite bracelet.