Skip to content
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
玗 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
玗yúsemi-precious stonezg, 7 strokes, radical 王
玗yúsemiprecious stoneunknown, 7 strokes, radical 王
玗yúa kind of jadeunknown, 7 strokes, radical 王
yú(yu2) T2
  1. 1semi-precious stone
  2. 2semiprecious stone
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

玗yú(yu2)

The character 玗 (yú) refers to a type of semi-precious stone, particularly a kind of jade. This term is often used in contexts related to jewelry, decoration, and traditional Chinese culture, where jade holds significant value and symbolism.

Strokes7Radical王
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, jade is considered a symbol of purity and moral integrity, often used in art and jewelry. The character 玗 specifically highlights the appreciation for semi-precious stones that carry historical significance.

Memory Tip

Imagine a beautiful jade stone that resembles a glowing green eye. The character 玗 has the radical for stone (石) on the bottom, reminding you that it's a type of stone. The sound 'yú' can be associated with 'you' as in 'you will find beauty in this gem.'

Meanings of 玗

yú(yu2)
1semi-precious stone
2semiprecious stone
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 玗

玗Simplified
7Strokes
王Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 玗

JasonAmy

Podcast: 玗

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 玗

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 玗 with other jade-related terms, as there are many types of jade in Chinese culture. This term is relatively formal, used mostly in artistic or cultural discussions about stones, rather than in everyday conversation. Common collocations include phrases like '玗石' (yù shí) meaning 'jade stone.'

HSK Study Tips

As this character is not included in the HSK levels, focus on its relation to other characters associated with stones and minerals. Recognizing the stone radical (石) can help you identify related vocabulary in future studies.

Common Mistakes

Learners may mistakenly use 玗 in casual contexts where more common words for jade are appropriate. For instance, saying '我喜欢玗' (wǒ xǐhuān yù) instead of '我喜欢玉' (wǒ xǐhuān yù) to mean 'I like jade' is incorrect, as 玉 is the more general term.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 玗

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 玗 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 玗

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

jade

Semantic (meaning)王
+
Phonetic (sound)于
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 玗

  1. 1The meaning half王 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half于 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayjade
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 玗? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 玗?

Decomposition of 玗

IDS Structure⿰王于
玗Full Character
=
王Wang2
left
于Yu2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 玗?

How to say semi-precious stone in Chinese

“semi-precious stone” in Chinese is玗yú

The character 玗 (yú) refers to a type of semi-precious stone, particularly a kind of jade. This term is often used in contexts related to jewelry, decoration, and traditional Chinese culture, where jade holds significant value and symbolism.

When to use 玗

Be careful not to confuse 玗 with other jade-related terms, as there are many types of jade in Chinese culture. This term is relatively formal, used mostly in artistic or cultural discussions about stones, rather than in everyday conversation. Common collocations include phrases like '玗石' (yù shí) meaning 'jade stone.'

What learners get wrong

Learners may mistakenly use 玗 in casual contexts where more common words for jade are appropriate. For instance, saying '我喜欢玗' (wǒ xǐhuān yù) instead of '我喜欢玉' (wǒ xǐhuān yù) to mean 'I like jade' is incorrect, as 玉 is the more general term.

Write 玗

玗

Practice writing 玗 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 玗

Words Containing This Character1
玗yúa kind of jade
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 玗 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 玗

玗 refers to a type of semi-precious stone, while 翡翠 specifically refers to jadeite, a more valuable form of jade.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 玗?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.