玉 meaning and stroke order
Jade
How to write 玉, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 玉
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- jade
How 玉 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A necklace 丨 adorned with three pieces of jade.
How to remember 玉
Picture a string 丨 threaded through three pieces of jade, which makes the shape of 王. Then add a small dot 丶 as a sparkle on the gem, and you have 玉 (yù), jade.
On its own, 玉 means jade, and it also appears in words for precious or beautiful things. Its most common everyday word is actually 玉米 (yùmǐ), corn. Example: 我喜欢吃玉米。(Wǒ xǐhuan chī yùmǐ.) I like eating corn.
Common mistake: Learners often drop the dot and write 王 (wáng, king), or put the dot in the wrong place. In 玉 the dot sits at the lower right, inside the bottom stroke area. Do not confuse it with 主 (zhǔ, master), which has its dot on top.
Common words with 玉
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 玉米 | yùmǐ | corn; maize | HSK 4 |
| 玉米饼 | yùmǐbǐng | corn cake; Mexican tortilla | |
| 玉米片 | yùmǐpiàn | cornflakes; tortilla chips | |
| 玉帝 | yùdì | the Jade Emperor |
玉 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 玉
Learning 玉 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 玉
How many strokes are in 玉?
玉 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 玉 mean?
玉 (yù) means jade. A common word with it is 玉米 (yùmǐ), meaning "corn; maize".
How do you pronounce 玉?
玉 is pronounced yù, in the fourth tone (falling).
Is 玉 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 玉 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Why do so many characters about jade or gems have 王 on the left side?
When 玉 is used as a component on the left, it is written as 王 without the dot. That is why characters like 珠 (zhū, pearl) and 环 (huán, ring) look like they contain 王 but are really related to jade.
Who is 玉帝 (yùdì)?
玉帝 is the Jade Emperor, the ruler of heaven in Chinese folk religion and mythology. He appears often in stories such as Journey to the West.