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瑁 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
màofine jadex, 13 strokes, radical 王, Very Hard
mào(jade)unknown, 13 strokes, radical 王, Very Hard
mào(mao4) T4
  1. 1fine jade
  2. 2(jade)
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March 24, 2026

mào(mao4)

瑁 (mào) refers to a type of fine jade, often highly valued in Chinese culture for its beauty and rarity. This term is commonly used in contexts related to jewelry, art, and traditional Chinese culture, where jade symbolizes purity, nobility, and moral integrity.

Strokes13RadicalFrequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, jade is not only valued for its aesthetic appeal but also for its spiritual significance, often associated with virtues such as wisdom and protection.瑁 specifically highlights the appreciation of high-quality jade in traditional art and jewelry.

Memory Tip

Imagine a beautiful jade piece that is so fine it could be mistaken for a precious gem. The character 瑁 has a component '王' (wáng) meaning 'king' atop '石' (shí) meaning 'stone', suggesting that this stone is as precious as a king's treasure.

Meanings of 瑁

mào(mao4)
1fine jade
2(jade)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 瑁

Simplified
13Strokes
Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 瑁

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AI Study Notes for 瑁

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a beautiful jade piece that is so fine it could be mistaken for a precious gem. The character 瑁 has a component '王' (wáng) meaning 'king' atop '石' (shí) meaning 'stone', suggesting that this stone is as precious as a king's treasure.

Usage Notes

瑁 is a literary term and is not commonly used in everyday conversation, which may lead to confusion for learners who attempt to use it informally. Be cautious about its pronunciation and ensure to pronounce the fourth tone correctly to distinguish it from similar-sounding words.

HSK Study Tips

瑁 is not included in the HSK lists, which means learners at this level should focus on more common vocabulary. However, understanding its components can help with recognizing other jade-related terms like 玉 (yù) for jade and 石 (shí) for stone.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, jade is not only valued for its aesthetic appeal but also for its spiritual significance, often associated with virtues such as wisdom and protection.瑁 specifically highlights the appreciation of high-quality jade in traditional art and jewelry.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 瑁 with other jade-related characters like 玉. For example, saying '我喜欢瑁' (I like jade) is incorrect; '我喜欢玉' is more appropriate for general use.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 瑁

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Etymology of 瑁

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

jade

Semantic (meaning)
+
Phonetic (sound)
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 瑁?

Decomposition of 瑁

IDS Structure⿰王冒
Full Character
=
Wang2
left
mao4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 瑁?

Write 瑁

Practice writing stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Cultural Notes for 瑁

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, jade is not only valued for its aesthetic appeal but also for its spiritual significance, often associated with virtues such as wisdom and protection.瑁 specifically highlights the appreciation of high-quality jade in traditional art and jewelry.

Word Family of 瑁

Words Containing This Character2
mào(jade)
玳瑁tortoiseshell
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 瑁 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 瑁

No, 瑁 is more often found in literary and formal contexts rather than in everyday speech.