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珍宝 (zhēn bǎo) — jewelry; precious gems and artifacts; something very cherished or valuable (e.g. talent, cultural relic, memory)

Definition

珍宝 (zhēn bǎo) is a slightly more literary word for 'treasure / precious thing' — both physical (jewelry, relics) and figurative (cherished talent, memories). It pairs with 件 and leans more written than 宝贝.

noun
jewelryprecious gems and artifactssomething very cherished or valuable (e.g. talent, cultural relic, memory)
Measure word · 件

Examples

  • 珍宝。
    Bó wù guǎn lǐ chén liè zhe xǔ duō gǔ dài zhēn bǎo.
    Many ancient treasures are displayed in the museum.
  • 珍宝。
    Zhè jiàn wén wù bèi shì wéi guó jiā jí zhēn bǎo.
    This cultural relic is regarded as a national treasure.
  • 珍宝。
    Tā bǎ zì jǐ zhēn cáng de zhēn bǎo juān gěi le tú shū guǎn.
    He donated his cherished treasure to the library.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

珍zhēnprecious thing
宝bǎotreasure

珍宝 pairs 珍 (precious thing) and 宝 (treasure) to mean valued gems or objects.

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
玉玉yù
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.

Open 珍 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 寶; 宝 is its simplified writing.

  • 宀宀miánhouse
  • 琡琡chùjade
  • 貝貝bèicowry

The traditional form 寶 shows 宀 (house), 琡 (jade), and 貝 (cowry), drawn together as treasures in a house.

Open 宝 →
Appears in
Everyday Objects

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