珠 meaning and stroke order
Gem, jewel, pearl, precious stone
How to write 珠, stroke by stroke
10 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
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Meaning of 珠
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- bead
- pearl
How 珠 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Jade.
王 gives the meaning and 朱 hints at the sound.
Radical: 王 (king), shared by 104 characters on this site.
How to remember 珠
The left side 王 here stands for jade (玉), so it marks precious stones. The right side 朱 (zhū, vermilion red) gives the sound, so picture a shiny red bead set beside a piece of jade.
珠 means a pearl or any small round bead, and it is rarely used alone. It appears in words like 珍珠 (zhēnzhū, pearl), 珠宝 (zhūbǎo, jewelry) and 圆珠笔 (yuánzhūbǐ, ballpoint pen). Example: 她戴着一条珍珠项链。(Tā dàizhe yì tiáo zhēnzhū xiàngliàn.) She is wearing a pearl necklace.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 珠 with 株 (zhū), which has the same sound and the same 朱 part but uses the tree radical 木 and is a measure word for plants. If it is a gem or bead, use the jade side 王.
Common words with 珠
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 珍珠 | zhēnzhū | pearl (CL:顆|颗[ke1],粒[li4]); (fig.) teardrop; tear | HSK 5 |
| 珠宝 | zhūbǎo | pearls; jewels | HSK 6 |
| 圆珠笔 | yuánzhūbǐ | ballpoint pen | HSK 6 |
| 眼珠 | yǎnzhū | one's eyes; eyeball | |
| 明珠 | míngzhū | pearl; jewel (of great value) | |
| 眼珠子 | yǎnzhūzi | eyeball; fig. the apple of one's eye (i.e. favorite person) | |
| 弹珠 | dànzhū | a marble (used in games) | |
| 珠子 | zhūzi | pearl; bead | |
| 连珠 | liánzhū | joined as a string of pearls; in rapid succession |
珠 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 珠
How many strokes are in 珠?
珠 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 珠 mean?
珠 (zhū) means gem, jewel, pearl, precious stone. A common word with it is 珍珠 (zhēnzhū), meaning "pearl (CL:顆|颗[ke1],粒[li4]); (fig.) teardrop; tear".
How do you pronounce 珠?
珠 is pronounced zhū, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 珠?
The radical of 珠 is 王, which carries the idea of "king". Dictionaries list 珠 under this radical.
Is 珠 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 珠 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why does 圆珠笔 (ballpoint pen) contain the character for pearl?
A ballpoint pen writes with a tiny round ball at the tip. 圆珠 (yuánzhū) means a round bead, so 圆珠笔 is literally a round bead pen.
Can 珠 describe things that are not jewels?
Yes. It is used for anything small and round like a bead. Examples include 眼珠 (yǎnzhū, eyeball), 弹珠 (dànzhū, marble), and 汗珠 (hànzhū, a bead of sweat).