绿色 (lǜsè)

绿色 literally means the colour green, but at HSK 5 level it is most important as a metaphorical adjective meaning eco-friendly, sustainable, clean, or low-carbon. It is central to Chinese environmental policy discourse.

Meanings

[noun/adjective] green (the colour)
[adjective] eco-friendly; sustainable; clean; low-carbon; environmentally sound

Example Sentences

政府大力推广绿色出行，鼓励市民骑自行车或乘坐公共交通。 Zhèngfǔ dàlì tuīguǎng lǜsè chūxíng, gǔlì shìmín qí zìxíngchē huò chéngzuò gōnggòng jiāotōng. The government is actively promoting green travel, encouraging citizens to cycle or use public transport.

发展绿色经济是实现碳中和目标的必然选择。 Fāzhǎn lǜsè jīngjì shì shíxiàn tàn zhōnghé mùbiāo de bìrán xuǎnzé. Developing a green economy is an inevitable choice for achieving carbon neutrality.

这家餐厅承诺只使用绿色食材，所有蔬菜均为有机种植。 Zhè jiā cāntīng chéngnuò zhǐ shǐyòng lǜsè shícái, suǒyǒu shūcài jūn wéi yǒujī zhòngzhí. This restaurant promises to use only eco-certified ingredients, with all vegetables organically grown.

企业在追求利润的同时，也有责任践行绿色生产理念。 Qǐyè zài zhuīqiú lìrùn de tóngshí, yě yǒu zérèn jiànxíng lǜsè shēngchǎn lǐniàn. While pursuing profit, enterprises also have a responsibility to practise the concept of green production.

春天来了，公园里一片绿色，令人心旷神怡。 Chūntiān láile, gōngyuán lǐ yī piàn lǜsè, lìng rén xīn kuàng shén yí. Spring has come, and the park is a sea of green, refreshing the mind and lifting the spirits.

绿色建筑设计通过节能减排，大幅降低了建筑物的碳排放量。 Lǜsè jiànzhù shèjì tōngguò jiénéng jiǎn pái, dàfú jiàngdīle jiànzhùwù de tàn páifàng liàng. Green building design significantly reduces a building's carbon emissions through energy saving and emission reduction.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
绿色发展	green development; sustainable development
绿色经济	green economy
绿色出行	green travel (cycling, public transport)
绿色食品	green food; eco-certified food
绿色建筑	green building
绿色能源	green energy; renewable energy

Usage Notes

At HSK 5 level, 绿色 functions as a prefix that adds the meaning of "environmentally friendly" or "sustainable" to almost any domain: 绿色农业 (green agriculture), 绿色金融 (green finance), 绿色消费 (green consumption). This metaphorical extension from colour to environmental concept is now dominant in formal Chinese.

The compound 绿色发展理念 (the concept of green development) is a core phrase in China's 14th Five-Year Plan and appears frequently in exam and reading texts. At B2 level, recognising this extended meaning is essential.

Memory Hook

绿 (green) + 色 (colour) -- the colour of living leaves and healthy nature; extended to mean anything that keeps the natural world that green.