软玉 (ruǎn yù) — nephrite

Definition

Nephrite, the traditional Chinese 'soft jade' — distinguished from 硬玉 (yìng yù), the 'hard jade' or jadeite imported later from Burma. Both are called 玉, but 软玉 is the classic domestic variety used in ancient Chinese carving.

noun
nephrite
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 软玉，。
    Zhè kuài ruǎn yù zhì dì xì nì, yán sè wēn rùn.
    This piece of nephrite has a fine texture and a warm, moist color.
  • 软玉。
    ruǎn yù Hé yìng yù shì liǎng zhǒng bù tóng de yù shí.
    Nephrite and jadeite are two different types of jade.
  • 软玉。
    Gǔ dài zhōng guó rén cháng yòng ruǎn yù zhì zuò yù qì.
    Ancient Chinese people often used nephrite to make jade objects.

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.

软ruǎnsoft
玉yùjade

软 (soft) and 玉 (jade) combine to name a kind of jade with a soft texture.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 軟; 软 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
耎
耎ruǎn軟ruǎn
Same sound today

The traditional form 軟 pairs 車 (carriage) with 耎 as a sound part; 耎 depicted a man under rain, and simplified 软 uses a later right side instead of 耎.

Open 软 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

玉 was drawn as a ritual jade piece, or as jade pieces strung together, and was made distinct from 王 by adding a dot.

Open 玉 →

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