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 "precious"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "precious", including 宝 (bǎo), 贵 (guì). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "precious" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 宝 (bǎo), 贵 (guì) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span bǎo, guì — 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
- 贵 guìexpensive; noble; your (name); preciousUseful words: 宝贵, 珍贵
Common words for these 2 "precious" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 宝 (bǎo) — so "precious" 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 "precious".
贵 guì — expensive; noble; your (name); precious
这家店的东西有点儿贵。Zhè jiā diàn de dōng xi yǒu diǎnr guì.The things in this shop are a bit expensive.
Common words: 宝贵 (bǎo guì)、珍贵 (zhēn guì)、贵族 (guì zú)
All 2 characters
Open 宝、贵 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.