Meaning of 珍珠
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- pearl (CL:顆|颗[ke1],粒[li4])
- (fig.) teardrop; tear
How to use 珍珠
珍珠 is the everyday word for a pearl, and the measure word is 颗 (kē) or 粒 (lì). You will also see it in 珍珠奶茶 (zhēnzhū nǎichá), bubble tea, where the tapioca balls are called pearls. Example: 她戴着一条珍珠项链。(Tā dàizhe yì tiáo zhēnzhū xiàngliàn.) She is wearing a pearl necklace.
Both 珍 (zhēn) and 珠 (zhū) have the jade side 王, which marks precious stones. 珍 means treasure and 珠 means a bead or ball, so 珍珠 is a treasured bead: a pearl.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up the initials and write or say zhēnzū or zhēnchū. Both syllables start with zh, and both are first tone. Also do not confuse 珠 (zhū) with 朱 (zhū, vermilion), which lacks the 王 side.
珍珠 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
珍 zhēn · a treasure · 9 strokes
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珠 zhū · gem · 10 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 珍珠.
| 珍惜 | zhēnxī | to treasure; to value |
| 珍贵 | zhēnguì | precious |
| 珠宝 | zhūbǎo | pearls; jewels |
| 袖珍 | xiùzhēn | pocket-sized; pocket (book etc) |
| 圆珠笔 | yuánzhūbǐ | ballpoint pen |
| 珍藏 | zhēncáng | a collection of rare and valuable items; to collect (such items) |
| 珍视 | zhēnshì | to place great importance on; to treasure |
| 珍重 | zhēnzhòng | to treasure; to cherish; to value highly; (in parting) take good care of yourself |
| 眼珠 | yǎnzhū | one's eyes; eyeball |
| 珍宝 | zhēnbǎo | a treasure |
| 珍爱 | zhēn'ài | to cherish |
| 明珠 | míngzhū | pearl; jewel (of great value) |
Questions about 珍珠
What does 珍珠 mean?
珍珠 (zhēnzhū) means "pearl (CL:顆|颗[ke1],粒[li4]); (fig.) teardrop; tear" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 珍珠?
珍珠 is made of 2 characters: 珍 (9 strokes), 珠 (10 strokes). That is 19 strokes in total.
Is 珍珠 an HSK word?
Yes. 珍珠 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Does 珍珠 really mean teardrop?
Yes, in a figurative, literary way. Writers may compare tears to pearls, but in normal speech people say 眼泪 (yǎnlèi) for tears.
How is 珍珠 different from 珠宝?
珍珠 is specifically a pearl. 珠宝 (zhūbǎo) is a general word for jewelry and precious gems, as in 珠宝店 (zhūbǎo diàn), a jewelry store.