碧蓝 (bì lán) — azure; deep clear blue (of sky or sea)

Definition

adjective

azuredeep clear blue (of sky or sea)

碧蓝。
Jīn tiān de tiān kōng tè bié bì lán.
The sky today is especially azure.
碧蓝。
Hǎi miàn shì yí piàn bì lán de yán sè.
The sea surface is a stretch of azure color.
碧蓝。
Wǒ xǐ huan zhè zhǒng bì lán de bù liào.
I like this kind of azure fabric.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

碧bìjade-like blue-green

'碧' gives a jade-like blue-green tint and '蓝' names the base color, together describing a deep clear blue.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

王石白碧

Meaning part形符xíngfú

王Written in full as玉yùjade

石石shístone

Sound part声符shēngfú

白

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

碧 combines 王 (jade, written fully as 玉) and 石 (stone), with 白 giving the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 藍; 蓝 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艸艸cǎograss

Sound part声符shēngfú

監

監jiān藍lán

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 蓝, the traditional form 藍 has 艸, grass, above 監, which gives the sound.