王

Jade Radical (王)

yù · 4 strokes · Full form: 玉

The jade radical (王) is a frequently seen radical in Chinese. It appears in 30 characters related to jade and associated concepts. The standalone character form is 玉 (4 strokes); the component form 王 is used inside compound characters. 30 characters: 3 in HSK 1, 1 in HSK 2, 2 in HSK 3, 1 in HSK 4, 6 in HSK 5, 2 in HSK 6, 6 in HSK 7-9, 9 in HSK 7-9. Radical classifications follow the Kangxi radical system. Character data is based on the HSK 3.0 Standard (CLEC 2022 syllabus).

Radical vs. Component: 王 is also a character component. As a radical, it classifies characters in dictionaries. As a component, it appears as a building block contributing meaning, sound, or structure. For component-specific details including role analysis and position patterns, see the Jade Component (王) page.

Jade Radical at a Glance

Stroke Count4 (王)
Total Characters30
Most Common HSK LevelHSK 7-9 (9 characters)
Avg. Character Strokes11
Standalone Form玉 (yù)
ClassificationKangxi Radicals

All Jade Radical Characters

HSK 1 (3 characters)

现xiànto appear班bānteam玩wánto play

HSK 2 (1 characters)

球qiúball used for playing games (variant of 球[qiu2])

HSK 3 (2 characters)

环huánring理lǐtexture

HSK 4 (1 characters)

琴qínguqin 古琴 (a type of zither)

HSK 5 (6 characters)

珍zhēnprecious thing玉yùjade玻bōsee 玻璃璃lí(phonetic character used in transliteration of foreign names)瑰guī(semiprecious stone)玫méi(fine jade)

HSK 6 (2 characters)

王wángking or monarch珠zhūbead

HSK 7-9 (6 characters)

瑞ruìlucky琢zhuóto cut (gems)琐suǒfragmentary瑕xiáblemish璀cuǐluster of gems璨càngem

HSK 7-9 (9 characters)

瑟sèa type of standing harp, smaller than konghou 箜篌, with 5-25 strings琉liúprecious stone珊shāncoral玛mǎused in 瑪瑙|玛瑙瑶YáoYao ethnic group of southwest China and southeast Asia琳língem琼Qióngjasper琦qí(literary) fine jade璘línluster of gem

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the jade radical mean in Chinese characters?
The jade radical (王) signals a semantic connection to jade-related concepts. When you see 王 in a character, it typically indicates the character's meaning involves jade or associated ideas. With 30 characters using this radical, it is one of the more productive radicals in Chinese. Radical classifications follow the Kangxi radical system, the traditional standard for organizing Chinese characters.
How many characters use the jade radical?
There are 30 characters with the jade radical (王) in the HSK 3.0 character set (CLEC 2022 syllabus): 3 in HSK 1, 1 in HSK 2, 2 in HSK 3, 1 in HSK 4, 6 in HSK 5, 2 in HSK 6, 6 in HSK 7-9, 9 in HSK 7-9. The distribution across HSK levels reflects how fundamental jade-related concepts are at each stage of Mandarin learning.
What is the difference between 王 and 玉?
玉 is the standalone character form (yù, meaning "jade"), while 王 is the simplified radical form used as a component inside other characters. When writing characters that contain the jade radical, you write 王 rather than the full form 玉. Both forms represent the same radical — the component form 王 is adapted for compact positioning within a character's structure.
What are the most common jade radical characters?
By frequency of use, the most common characters with the jade radical (王) are: 现 (xiàn, "to appear"), 理 (lǐ, "texture"), 王 (wáng, "king or monarch"), 球 (qiú, "ball used for playing games (variant of 球[qiu2])"), 环 (huán, "ring"). These high-frequency characters are among the first jade-related characters most learners encounter.
What HSK levels include jade radical characters?
Characters with the jade radical (王) appear across 8 HSK levels: 3 in HSK 1, 1 in HSK 2, 2 in HSK 3, 1 in HSK 4, 6 in HSK 5, 2 in HSK 6, 6 in HSK 7-9, 9 in HSK 7-9. The largest concentration is at HSK 7-9 with 9 characters. Earlier HSK levels introduce the most common jade-related characters, while advanced levels add specialized or literary terms.

Sources & Standards

Radical classifications on this page follow the Kangxi radical system (康熙部首), the standard set of 214 radicals codified in the Kangxi Dictionary (康熙字典, 1716). Character data is based on the HSK 3.0 Standard (《国际中文教育中文水平等级标准》), published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 2022 revision.