珍珠 (zhēn zhū) — pearl | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

珍珠 is specifically a pearl — a single round gem formed inside a mollusk. Unlike 珠宝 ('jewelry' in general) or 宝石 ('precious stone, gem'), it names one specific type, not a category.

noun

pearl

Measure word · 颗

Examples

珍珠。
Zhè chuàn zhēn zhū xiàng liàn shì tā zuì zhēn guì de lǐ wù.
This pearl necklace is her most precious gift.
珍珠。
Yǎng zhí zhēn zhū xū yào hěn duō nài xīn hé jì shù.
Cultivating pearls requires a lot of patience and skill.
珍珠。
Tā dài de ěr huán shàng xiāng qiàn le liǎng kē zhēn zhū.
The earrings she wore were set with two pearls.

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.

珍zhēnprecious

珍珠 combines 珍 as precious and 珠 as bead to name a precious pearl.

Characters in this word

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

㐱

㐱㐱珍

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

珍 pairs 玉, a jade or gem, with 㐱, which gives the sound; the 玉 part fits its early meaning of a rich gemstone.

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.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 6 HSK 2.0 Level 6 Footwear & Accessories

Browse more HSK 6 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.