珍 zhēn a treasure
a treasure; a precious thing; rare; valuable
How to remember 珍: 𤣩 king + 㐱 thick hair = a treasure. The king of the chess club lets nobody touch his grandmother's brush with its thick hair, because to him it is a treasure.
Component breakdown
珍 = 𤣩 king + 㐱 thick hair
- 𤣩 king
- 㐱 thick hair
The king of the chess club lets nobody touch his grandmother's brush with its thick hair, because to him it is a treasure.
How it is used
- Core sense is "precious, treasured," most commonly seen in 珍惜 zhēnxī, the everyday verb for cherishing or making the most of something intangible - time, opportunities, relationships: 要珍惜时间 (yào zhēnxī shíjiān) - "you should treasure your time."
- 珍贵 zhēnguì (precious/valuable) describes objects, memories, or resources, while 珍稀 zhēnxī (note: same pinyin as 珍惜 but a different word) describes rare, endangered things like species or artifacts - don't confuse the homophone pair.
- 珍珠 zhēnzhū (pearl) and 袖珍 xiùzhēn ("sleeve-sized," i.e. pocket-sized/miniature, as in 袖珍词典 "pocket dictionary") show the character's range from literal gems to a size descriptor.
Words with 珍
Example sentences
- 他很珍惜这个盒子。 Tā hěn zhēnxī zhèige hézi.He treasures this box very much.
- 熊猫是珍贵的动物。 Xióngmāo shì zhēnguì de dòngwù.Pandas are precious animals.