Traditional Symbolism: Traditionally, 绿色 (lǜsè) is associated with spring, health, vitality, and harmony. It is a positive color representing new life and the natural world. In traditional Chinese medicine, green is linked to the liver and is believed to have a calming and healing effect.
Modern Environmentalism: The most significant modern meaning of 绿色 is its connection to environmentalism. This is a direct parallel to the “green movement” in the West. In China, you'll constantly encounter terms like “green development” (绿色发展) and “ecological civilization” (生态文明), which are central pillars of national policy. This makes 绿色 a high-frequency, important term in news, business, and daily life.
The “Green Hat” Taboo (戴绿帽子 - dài lǜ màozi): This is a critical cultural point for all learners. In China, saying a man “wears a green hat” (戴绿帽子) is a powerful and vulgar idiom meaning his wife or girlfriend is cheating on him. The origin is debated, but it's a deeply ingrained cultural taboo. Never, ever give a Chinese man a green-colored hat as a gift. This strong negative association is unique to the color green and does not apply to other green items of clothing.
Comparison to Western “Green”: While the environmental meaning is very similar to English, the “green hat” taboo is a stark difference. Furthermore, while in English “green” can mean “naive” or “inexperienced” (e.g., “a green new employee”), 绿色 (lǜsè) does not carry this connotation at all. The Chinese equivalent for “naive” or a “newbie” is closer to `菜鸟 (càiniǎo)`, literally “vegetable bird.”