Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Shape of jade strung on cord. Jewel.
Symbolism
Jewel, beautiful, precious. Represents beauty and value.
Component Breakdown
king + 丶
Words & Expressions
Words written with 玉
Four-Character Compounds
玉石混交
ぎょくせきこんこう
mixed bag; mixture of good and bad; jumble of wheat and chaff
金科玉条
きんかぎょくじょう
golden rule (basic principle ensuring success in some activity)
金殿玉楼
きんでんぎょくろう
magnificent palace
金枝玉葉
きんしぎょくよう
member of the Imperial family; royalty; beautiful clouds
金烏玉兎
きんうぎょくと
sun and moon
象箸玉杯
ぞうちょぎょくはい
living a lavish lifestyle; ivory chopsticks and jade cups
錦衣玉食
きんいぎょくしょく
beautiful clothes and fine food; life of luxury
Poetry
白露に 風の吹きしく 秋の野は つらぬきとめぬ 玉ぞ散りける
Across the autumn field, where the wind keeps blowing on the white dew, unstrung jewels are scattering.
玉のをよ たえなばたえね ながらへば 忍ぶることの 弱りもぞする
Thread of my life, if you must break, then break. If I live on, my strength to keep this hidden will fail.
Anime & Manga
手玉に取りたい黒木屋さん
Kurokiya-san Wants to Lead Him Around by the Nose
A well-known work with 玉 in its Japanese title.
Related Figures & Stories
児玉源太郎
Name contains 玉
Viscount Kodama Gentarō was a Japanese general in the Imperial Japanese Army and a government minister during the Meiji period.
Wikipedia池玉瀾
Name contains 玉
Ike Gyokuran was a Japanese Bunjinga painter, calligrapher, and poet.
Wikipediaラグーザ玉
Name contains 玉
Kiyohara Tama , also known as Kiyohara Otama or O'Tama Chiovara, Eleonora Ragusa , or Ragusa Tama was a Japanese painter who spent most of her life…
Wikipedia浦上玉堂
Name contains 玉
Uragami Gyokudō or Urakami Gyokudō was a Japanese musician, painter, poet and calligrapher.
WikipediaOther kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 玉 mean in Japanese?
玉 means jewel, ball.
How do you read 玉?
On'yomi: ギョク (GYOKU). Kun'yomi: たま、たま-、-だま (tama, tama, dama).
How many strokes does 玉 have?
玉 has 5 strokes. Its radical is 玉 (jade).
Is 玉 a good kanji for a tattoo?
玉 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means jewel, ball. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.