玉: the kanji for ball; jewel
玉 is a JLPT N2 kanji that means ball; jewel. Below are its readings, 6 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
玉 is written in 5 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
玉 has 2 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 6 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
ギョク (gyoku)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 宝玉ほうぎょく · hōgyoku | jewel |
| 玉石混交ぎょくせきこんこう · gyokuseki konkō | a mix of good and bad |
たま (tama)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 玉たま · tama | ball; bead |
| 十円玉じゅうえんだま · jūendama | 10-yen coin |
| 目玉めだま · medama | eyeball; main attraction |
| 玉ねぎたまねぎ · tamanegi | onion |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 玉ねぎを細かく切ってください。Tamanegi o komakaku kitte kudasai.Please chop the onion finely.
- 百円玉を二枚入れてください。Hyakuendama o nimai irete kudasai.Please put in two 100-yen coins.
- この店の目玉商品は何ですか。Kono mise no medama shōhin wa nan desu ka.What is this store's featured product?
- ネットの情報は玉石混交だ。Netto no jōhō wa gyokuseki konkō da.Information on the internet is a mix of good and bad.
- 毛糸の玉が転がっていった。Keito no tama ga korogatte itta.The ball of yarn rolled away.
Questions about 玉
How many strokes does 玉 have?
玉 is written in 5 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 玉?
The on readings are gyoku (ギョク). The kun readings are tama (たま).
What JLPT level is 玉?
N2. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N2 is designed to match the former Level 2.
More JLPT N2 kanji
Science, materials and colors
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 玉
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.