Meaning
环保 is short for 环境保护 (huánjìng bǎohù), meaning environmental protection. It's widely used in modern Chinese to refer to anything related to protecting the environment, reducing pollution, or being eco-friendly. As an adjective, it describes products, practices, or behaviors that are environmentally conscious.
Usage
This is an extremely common term in contemporary China, used in news, advertising, everyday conversation, and government policy. It can function as a noun ("environmental protection") or as an adjective modifier ("环保产品" = eco-friendly products). The term became widespread starting in the 1990s as environmental awareness increased in China.
Examples
- 01我们应该使用环保袋，少用塑料袋。, .We should use reusable bags and use fewer plastic bags.
- 02这家公司生产的都是环保产品。.This company produces only eco-friendly products.
Characters
Common collocations
- 环保产品eco-friendly products
- 环保意识environmental awareness
- 环保袋reusable shopping bag
- 环保部门environmental protection department
Antonyms
Origin
Abbreviated compound from 环境保护 (environment protection). This type of two-character abbreviation is common in modern Chinese for frequently used multi-character terms.