美石

měishí
noun

Measure Word

美石 kuài

Meanings

  1. 1 a precious stone
  2. 2 a beautiful gemstone
  3. 3 fine ornamental stone

Examples

HSK 7-9
Zhè kuài měishí zhìdì wēnrùn, xiàng shì Hétián yù.
This precious stone has a warm, smooth texture - looks like Hotan jade.
HSK 7-9
Gǔrén pèidài měishí, yǐ qiú píng'ān.
The ancients wore precious stones to seek safe passage.

Tips

culture
In classical usage (yù) was defined as 'a beautiful stone' (石之美者) - so 美石 is essentially the etymological gloss of jade. The term is still used by collectors for any non-jade ornamental rock prized for color or pattern.

Stroke Order

měi
shí