About
The character 玉, representing jade, originates from a pictograph that depicted a string of carved jade pieces. Its structure, consisting of three horizontal lines connected by a central vertical stroke, visually echoes this arrangement of beads on a thread. This form is traditionally very close to that of the character for "king" (王), distinguished only by an added dot or slight stroke in 玉, a differentiation that helped separate the concepts of the precious stone and the sovereign. Over centuries, its core meaning as the highly valued stone jade remained constant, but it naturally extended to signify anything precious, pure, or beautiful, giving rise to numerous compounds that apply these qualities to people, objects, and virtues.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这块玉很漂亮。
她戴着一个玉镯。
玉石是一种珍贵的石头。
妈妈买了一个玉佛像。
这座玉雕工艺精湛。
在古代，玉象征着美德。
博物馆里陈列着许多玉器。
这块玉佩是他祖传的宝贝。