‘青苹’ (qīng píng) literally combines 青 (qīng, 'blue-green') and 苹 (píng, an archaic term for duckweed or a type of aquatic plant). In classical Chinese poetry and prose, it most commonly refers to green duckweed — a small, floating freshwater plant with delicate leaves, often symbolizing tranquility or natural simplicity. Its visual association with gentle ripples on still water led to its poetic extension.

In literary contexts, ‘青苹’ appears in the idiom ‘青苹之末’ (qīng píng zhī mò, 'the tip of the green duckweed'), which metaphorically describes the faintest beginning of something — especially a subtle breeze barely stirring the surface. Thus, while botanically specific, 青苹 is rarely used in modern scientific or everyday speech about plants; instead, it survives almost exclusively in classical allusions, poetry, and idiomatic expressions evoking quiet movement or nascent change.