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What is the Kanji for 'Ball' and 'Jewel'? | 玉

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for 'Ball' and 'Jewel', you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for 'Ball' and 'Jewel' is 玉.

    kanji

    玉

    Meaning

    Ball, Jewel

    Reading

    kunyomiたま

    tama

    onyomiぎょく

    gyoku

    Parts

    王King 丶Dot

    Example Word

    玉: ball or jewel. The Japanese noun '玉 (たま)' has two primary meanings. The first is 'ball', referring to a spherical object, such as a sports ball or a decorative sphere. For example: The child is playing with a ball「子供が玉で遊んでいる」(こどもがたまであそんでいる). The second meaning is 'jewel', referring to a precious stone or gem. For example: She wore a beautiful jewel「彼女は美しい玉を身につけていた」(かのじょはうつくしいたまをみにつけていた). The context in which '玉' is used will determine whether it refers to a ball or a jewel. It is important to note that '玉' can also be used metaphorically to describe something valuable or precious, similar to how 'jewel' is used in English.

    Radical

    玉

    Stroke Count

    5

    JLPT

    N2

    Grade

    1

    Frequency

    571

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji 玉

If you visually break down this kanji, you can see it is made up of 2 parts:

    kanji

    王

    Meaning

    King

    radical

    丶

    Meaning

    Dot

玉 As Part Of Other Kanji

This kanji appears as part of 4 other kanji:

    kanji

    璧

    Meaning

    Ball, Sphere

    kanji

    宝

    Meaning

    Treasure

    kanji

    璽

    Meaning

    Imperial seal, Emperor's seal

    kanji

    国

    Meaning

    Country

Words Using 玉

This kanji is used in 3 words:

    word

    お年玉

    Meaning

    Money

    word

    玉

    Meaning

    Ball, Jewel

    word

    玉ねぎ

    Meaning

    Onion

Kanji Related to 玉 Through the Part 王

These 18 kanji contain the part 王 as well.

    kanji

    全

    Meaning

    Whole, All

    kanji

    狂

    Meaning

    Crazy, Lunatic

    kanji

    班

    Meaning

    Group, Squad

    kanji

    徴

    Meaning

    Levy, Symptom

    kanji

    羊

    Meaning

    Sheep

    kanji

    弄

    Meaning

    Tinker with

    kanji

    聖

    Meaning

    Saint, Holy

    kanji

    球

    Meaning

    Ball

    kanji

    主

    Meaning

    Master

    kanji

    皇

    Meaning

    Emperor

    kanji

    理

    Meaning

    Reason

    kanji

    現

    Meaning

    Appear, Current

    kanji

    旺

    Meaning

    Effulgent

    kanji

    釜

    Meaning

    Cauldron

    kanji

    環

    Meaning

    Ring, Surround

    kanji

    望

    Meaning

    Hope, Ambition

    kanji

    珠

    Meaning

    Ball, Pearl

    kanji

    呈

    Meaning

    Display, Present

Kanji Related to 玉 Through the Part 丶

These 20 kanji contain the part 丶 as well.

    kanji

    永

    Meaning

    Eternity

    kanji

    夜

    Meaning

    Night

    kanji

    犬

    Meaning

    Dog

    kanji

    良

    Meaning

    Good

    kanji

    凡

    Meaning

    Common

    kanji

    虫

    Meaning

    Insect

    kanji

    夕

    Meaning

    Evening

    kanji

    寸

    Meaning

    Measurement

    kanji

    氷

    Meaning

    Ice

    kanji

    心

    Meaning

    Heart

    kanji

    方

    Meaning

    Direction

    kanji

    刃

    Meaning

    Blade

    kanji

    主

    Meaning

    Master

    kanji

    丹

    Meaning

    Cinnabar, Rust colored

    kanji

    太

    Meaning

    Thick, Fat

    kanji

    丼

    Meaning

    Rice bowl

    kanji

    丸

    Meaning

    Round

    kanji

    州

    Meaning

    State

    kanji

    母

    Meaning

    Mother

    kanji

    雨

    Meaning

    Rain

Learn the Kanji 玉

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 玉 mean?

玉 means 'Ball' and 'Jewel'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in First Grade, while non-native learners often study it for the JLPT N2 exam.

To help you master this kanji, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.