Kanji 珠: pearl, gem, jewel

Key takeaways

Kanji 珠: pearl, gem, jewel. Readings and core meaning.

See vocabulary and examples below.

Kanji at a glance

珠

Meaning

pearlgemjewel

On reading

しゅ

Kun reading

たま

Radical

玉

Core meaning / core image

Core meaning: 珠

pearl, gem, jewel

Kanji structure breakdown

珠

Structure breakdown

王 + 朱

Mnemonic story

This character combines the jade radical (王/玉) with the character for vermillion (朱). Imagine a precious pearl or gem with a reddish tint that a king would value. It is commonly found in words like pearl (眞珠) and prayer beads (念珠).

On'yomi and kun'yomi

Example sentences

Example 1

彼女は真珠のネックレスをしています。

Translation

She is wearing a pearl necklace.

Example 2

真珠は海の宝石と言われます。