Chinese word

玉

Pronunciation

Pinyinyù

Meaning

  • nounjade

Example

这块玉是祖母传给我的。zhè kuài yù shì zú mǔ chuán gěi wǒ de

This piece of jade was passed down to me by my grandmother.

Illustration for 玉 (jade)

More examples

桌子上放着一块玉，看起来很古老。zhuō zi shàng fàng zhe yí kuài yù kàn qǐ lái hěn gú lǎo

A piece of jade sits on the table and looks very old.

Core concept

A valuable stone whose smooth brilliance turns a natural material into adornment, ritual objects, and treasured possessions.

Common phrases

  • 一块玉yí kuài yù

    piece of jade

  • 玉手镯yù shǒu zhuó

    jade bracelet

  • 玉饰品yù shì pǐn

    jade ornament

Similar words

宝石bǎo shí: A naturally formed stone with attractive color or shine, valued for making decorative items.
珍珠zhēn zhū: A smooth, shiny bead that grows inside a shell and is used to make jewelry.
石头shí tou: An ordinary hard rock found on land or in rivers and commonly used in daily life.

Definition in Chinese

可经过打磨呈现光泽的矿石或宝石，历来作为装饰、礼器或贵重材料使用。kě jīng guò dǎ mó chéng xiàn guāng zé de kuàng shí huò bǎo shí lì lái zuò wéi zhuāng shì lǐ qì huò guì zhòng cái liào shǐ yòng

Word origin

The character 玉 (yù, "jade") began as a picture of jade pieces strung together, matching the stone's early role as a valuable ornament and ritual material.

Usage tips

  • English usually treats jade as a mass noun, while Chinese can use the word for the material or for an individual jade object, with a measure word clarifying the latter.

Related words

  • 玉饰yù shìjade ornamentnoun
  • 玉器yù qìjade artifactnoun

Word lists with this word