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珍

zhēn
adjective #5,827

Meanings

  1. 1 precious; rare; valuable
  2. 2 to treasure; to cherish

Examples

请珍惜时间。
Qǐng zhēnxī shíjiān.
Please cherish your time.
博物馆里有很多珍贵的文物。
Bówùguǎn lǐ yǒu hěnduō zhēnguì de wénwù.
The museum has many precious artifacts.
珍珠奶茶很好喝。
Zhēnzhū nǎichá hěn hǎo hē.
Bubble tea is delicious.

Tips

usage
珍惜 (zhēnxī) = to cherish, 珍贵 (zhēnguì) = precious, 珍珠 (zhēnzhū) = pearl.

Components

radical
王 yù
jade (radical form)
Jade radical on the left — the four-stroke 王 here is the contracted form of 玉 (jade). Anchors 珍 in the family of precious-stone characters alongside 玉 (jade), 珠 (pearl), 璧 (jade disc), 璇 (fine jade). Tells the reader instantly: this concerns rare, treasured stones.
semantic
人 rén
person (graphic top of phonetic)
Top of the right component — the 人-shape sits over three slanted strokes. Together with the strokes below it forms the phonetic block carrying the zhěn → zhēn reading. On its own here it is graphic decoration; the sound work is done jointly with the 彡 below.
phonetic
彡 shān
decorative strokes; bristles
Three slanted strokes at the lower right — combined with the 人 above they form the phonetic block. Same shape powers the zhěn/zhēn family: 诊 zhěn (diagnose), 疹 zhěn (rash), 趁 chèn (take advantage). Visually, 彡 also evokes the lustrous polish-marks on a finished gem.

Stroke Order

珍 zhēn