南珠 (nán zhū) — a type of pearl from southern China (especially Hepu), known for its quality and luster

Definition

南珠 (nánzhū) refers to fine pearls traditionally harvested from the South China Sea, especially around Hepu in Guangxi — a specific regional product, not a general word for pearl.

noun
a type of pearl from southern China (especially Hepu), known for its quality and luster
Measure word · 颗

Examples

  • 南珠。
    Hé pǔ zì gǔ jiù yǐ chū chǎn nán zhū wén míng tiān xià.
    Hepu has been famous since ancient times for producing Southern Pearls.
  • 南珠，。
    Zhè chuàn nán zhū xiàng liàn sè zé wēn rùn, pǐn zhì jí gāo.
    This string of Southern Pearl necklace has a warm luster and extremely high quality.
  • 南珠。
    Zhǐ yǒu zhēn zhèng de nán zhū cái néng yǒu zhè yàng de guāng zé.
    Only genuine Southern Pearls can have such a luster.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

南nánsouth
珠zhūpearl

南 means southern and 珠 means pearl, so it denotes pearls from the south.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 南 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
𤣩Written in full as玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
朱
朱zhū珠zhū
Same sound today

The left side 𤣩, a form of 玉, connects the character to jade, while the right side 朱 gives the sound.

Open 珠 →

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