The Jade Radical 玉: Overview, Mnemonics, and Vocabulary

Continuing the Pandanese series on Chinese radicals, we’re here again to introduce you to the super cool Chinese radical for jade 玉 (yù). 

Without any further ado, let’s scroll down to get interesting information about the jade radical and, as always, a fun mnemonic to help you remember this radical for a long time! 

What is the jade radical in Chinese? 

The Chinese radical for jade is 玉 (yù). It’s often used in characters having meanings related to jade, glass-like materials, jewelry, or precious, beautiful things in general. The Chinese character for jade, 玉, is the same symbol as its radical.

You can find this radical in 473 Chinese characters (out of 49,030) ​​in the Kangxi Dictionary — the most authoritative dictionary of Chinese characters from the 18th century through the early 20th. 

The relationship between the jade radical and the king radical

If you have seen the king radical 王(wáng) before, you would have noticed that they look almost identical! 

‘Most people assume there must be a connection between these two radicals. It looks that way, right? However, historical evidence shows that’s not the case. 

In their earliest forms, 玉 (yù) and 王(wáng) looked quite different, but as time went on, the two radicals started to change in a way that they became almost indistinguishable.

The evolution of the jade radical and the king radical looking very similar. 

Centuries ago, people were confused and mixed the two radicals up, so they added a dot to the jade radical to differentiate them.

What is the stroke order of the 玉 radical? 

玉 is made up of 5 strokes; however, it becomes a four-stroke radical like this ⺩ when appearing on the left side of a character. 

The stroke order below is for the jade radical 玉 (yù) when it stands alone

Jade Chinese radical character stroke order

How can you memorize 玉 (yù) quickly? 

Mnemonic devices are a scientifically proven method to boost your memory and help you remember new knowledge longer. 

Leveraging this fact, Pandanese, a Chinese learning application, has created unique and fun mnemonic flashcards to help you study Chinese in the most effective way possible.

What’s more, Pandanese online and the Pandanese App also has a built-in Spaced Repetition system that allows your brain to optimize its capacity, making new words stick to your brain quicker and longer. 

The jade radical’s mnemonic is how Pandanese can make Chinese learning enjoyable, effective, and easier! 

Jade radical vocabulary list for you!

Chinese characters (Hanzi) and words containing the jade radical often have meanings associated with jade or precious things. 

Have a look at this vocabulary list and you’ll see: 

Jade radical vocabulary

In closing

What do you think of the Chinese radical for jade? Do you know any other words that include the jade radical?