Meaning
玉 means jewel, gem, or precious stone — and by extension, anything round or spherical. In classical Japanese literature, it calls to mind lustrous jade and ornaments worn by the nobility. Over time, the meaning stretched to cover any round object: glass marbles, bullets, onions. Shape became as important as material.
Etymologically, 玉 is a pictograph. Its earliest oracle bone forms showed three jade discs threaded on a string — among the most prized decorative objects of ancient East Asia. The single dot in the modern form separates it from 王 (king), which has an almost identical structure. Drop that dot and you have a completely different kanji.
In Japanese poetry and literature, 玉 works as a prefix of reverence or endearment — close to the English "precious" or "dear." お玉 is a woman's name, evoking gem-like beauty. Smooth, round forms carry associations of perfection in Japanese culture, which is why 玉 drifted so naturally from "jade" to "anything beautifully round."
Stroke count: 5. School grade: Grade 1 — one of the first kanji Japanese children learn. Radical: 玉 is its own radical (#96) and appears in many kanji related to jade and precious things.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi is ギョク (gyoku), borrowed from Middle Chinese. You'll mostly see it in formal, literary, or classical compounds — it carries an elevated, ceremonial tone that たま lacks.
- 玉座 (gyokuza) — throne; literally "jewel seat"
- 玉石 (gyokuseki) — gems and stones mixed; used figuratively in 玉石混交 (gyokuseki konkō) for "good and bad together"
- 玉砕 (gyokusai) — dying honorably rather than surrendering; literally "shattering of jade," a term loaded with WWII connotations
- 宝玉 (hōgyoku) — precious jewel; found in both literal and literary contexts
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi is たま (tama), the native word for anything round, ball-like, or gem-like. It shows up constantly in daily speech — covering gems, bullets, onions, and eyeballs with equal ease.
- 玉ねぎ (tamanegi) — onion; literally "ball leek," named for its round shape
- 目玉 (medama) — eyeball; also used idiomatically in 目玉商品 for a "featured item" or retail loss leader
- 水玉 (mizutama) — water droplet; polka dot pattern
- 弾 (tama) — bullet or projectile; often written in hiragana or with the kanji 弾
- 勾玉 (magatama) — comma-shaped sacred jewel; one of Japan's three Imperial Treasures
Common Words & Compounds
玉 turns up across a surprisingly wide range of domains — body parts, food, folklore, and formal prose. Here are the key compounds grouped by theme.
Nature and Physical Objects:
- 玉 (tama) — ball, sphere, jewel (standalone)
- 水玉 (mizutama) — water droplet; polka dot
- 雪玉 (yukidama) — snowball
- 火の玉 (hi no tama) — fireball; will-o'-the-wisp
Human Body:
- 目玉 (medama) — eyeball
- 手玉 (tedama) — juggling ball; 手玉に取る (tedama ni toru) means to wrap someone around your finger
Food:
- 玉ねぎ (tamanegi) — onion
- 玉子 (tamago) — egg (literary/menu variant of 卵); the standard form on sushi menus
Culture and Tradition:
- 勾玉 (magatama) — curved jewel; one of Japan's three Imperial Treasures
- 玉手箱 (tamatebako) — treasure box from the Urashima Tarō legend; used figuratively for anything that reveals surprises when opened
- 玉虫 (tamamushi) — jewel beetle; its iridescent sheen gives the word 玉虫色 (tamamushi-iro), meaning "ambiguous" or "two-faced"
Formal and Literary:
- 宝玉 (hōgyoku) — precious gem
- 玉座 (gyokuza) — throne
- 玉砕 (gyokusai) — honorable death; dying without surrender
- 玉石混交 (gyokuseki konkō) — mixture of good and bad; wheat and chaff together
Example Sentences
この指輪には美しい玉がついています。
Kono yubiwa ni wa utsukushii tama ga tsuite imasu.
This ring has a beautiful gem on it.
玉ねぎを切ると目が痛くなります。
Tamanegi wo kiru to me ga itaku narimasu.
My eyes hurt when I cut onions.
子供たちは雪玉を投げ合って遊んでいた。
Kodomotachi wa yukidama wo nage atte asondeita.
The children were playing by throwing snowballs at each other.
あのお寿司屋の玉子は特別においしい。
Ano osushiya no tamago wa tokubetsu ni oishii.
The egg sushi at that restaurant is especially delicious.
目玉が飛び出るほど高い値段だった。
Medama ga tobideru hodo takai nedan datta.
The price was so high it made my eyes pop out.
勾玉は日本の三種の神器の一つです。
Magatama wa Nihon no sanshu no jingi no hitotsu desu.
The magatama is one of Japan's three Imperial Treasures.
あの会議の結論は玉虫色でよくわからなかった。
Ano kaigi no ketsuron wa tamamushi-iro de yoku wakaranakatta.
The conclusion of that meeting was vague — nobody could say what was actually decided.
玉石混交の情報の中から本物を見つけるのは難しい。
Gyokuseki konkō no jōhō no naka kara honmono wo mitsukeru no wa muzukashii.
Sifting genuine information from a flood of mixed sources is no easy task.
彼女は相手を手玉に取るのが上手い。
Kanojo wa aite wo tedama ni toru no ga umai.
She is skillful at wrapping people around her finger.
Memory Tip
玉 looks almost identical to 王 (king) — the only difference is that small dot on the upper right. That dot is the jewel. Picture a king's crown: 王 is the crown itself, but add the glittering gem and you get 玉. No dot, no jewel — just a king. These two get mixed up constantly, so fix that image in your mind now.
For the kun'yomi, たま sounds like "ta-ma" — think of a marble, something small, round, and precious. That image covers most of 玉's everyday uses.