宝 bǎo — a jewel or gem; a treasure; precious
这个博物馆里收藏着许多国宝。Zhè ge bó wù guǎn lǐ shōu cáng zhe xǔ duō guó bǎo.This museum houses many national treasures.
Common words: 宝贝 (bǎo bèi)、宝宝 (bǎo bao)、宝贵 (bǎo guì)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "gem"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "gem", including 宝 (bǎo), 琳 (lín). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "gem" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 宝 (bǎo), 琳 (lín) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span bǎo, lín — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 宝 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 宝 bǎoa jewel or gem; a treasure; preciousUseful words: 宝贝, 宝宝
- 琳 língemUseful words: 玛德琳, 琳琅
Common words for these 2 "gem" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 宝 (bǎo) — so "gem" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "gem".
琳 lín — gem
“琳琅满目”用来形容物品丰富多彩。“Lín láng mǎn mù” yòng lái xíng róng wù pǐn fēng fù duō cǎi.The phrase a dazzling array describes a rich variety of goods.
Common words: 玛德琳 (mǎ dé lín)、琳琅 (lín láng)、满目琳琅 (mǎn mù lín láng)
All 2 characters
Open 宝、琳 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.