HanziGuru.琢 · zhuó
琢
zhuó[zhuo2]Tone 2

to cut and polish jade

HSK 7
Multiple Readings (多音字):
Guru Deep Dive

English · to cut and polish jade

Cached lesson
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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:12
Writing Balance Rule: The left component (王/jùn) occupies about one-third of the width, leaving the right component (冢) slightly wider to balance the entire glyph harmoniously.
1. Meaning

to carve or polish jade or gems

to polish or refine literary work or thoughtsto ponder or think deeply over something
VerbFormal / Literary#craftsmanship#intellectual activity#materials
Sample Usage
  • 玉不琢，不成器。
    yù bù zhuó, bù chéng qì.
    If jade is not cut and polished, it cannot be made into an article of use.
  • 推敲
    tuī qiāo
    to push and knock (to ponder over phrasing, derived from polishing thoughts)
2. Sound
/[tʂuo²⁵]/Tone: 35
琢
zhuózhuo2
++
´(35)
=zhuó
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
zhuo
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "o" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
Initial Consonant
zh
Type: Unaspirated Retroflex
Sounds like: j/dr retroflex sound
UnaspiratedRetroflex
Airflow Tactile Test: No burst of air. Tongue curled up. Tissue stays still.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip curled back near hard palate
Final Rhyme
uo
Vowel Group: -o vowel group
Sounds like: u-oh sound (like war without the w)
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'waw'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T2 (35)
2nd Tone (Mid-Rising)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 2 rises from a middle pitch to a high pitch, exactly matching the intonation of disbelief or questioning in English ('Huh?').
Sandhi: When followed by another Tone 2 character, the pitch contour may be slightly modified, though it generally maintains its rising 35 profile.
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse 'zhuó' with 'zuó'. Ensure you curl your tongue back for the retroflex 'zh' rather than flattening it for the alveolar 'z'.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Tone 2 rises sharply upward like asking a question in English ('What?'), starting from a mid-low pitch and soaring up to the top.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 12 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left component (王/jùn) occupies about one-third of the width, leaving the right component (冢) slightly wider to balance the entire glyph harmoniously.

4. Components

Radical 王 · Jade Radical (when on the left side, written as 王/jùn) (jade, precious stones)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 王 (Indicates that the action relates to working with jade or precious minerals.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 冢 (original sound: zhǒng / zhuó sound clue provider)

A skilled craftsman uses tools on jade (王) near a burial mound or high place (冢) where precious stones are unearthed.

  • 王 Jade (semantic classifier)
  • 冢 Mound (phonetic clue)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally combined the jade radical (王) denoting material and a phonetic element (冢) indicating pronunciation, reflecting the ancient art of carving raw jade stones.

Semantic Evolution: Shifted from literal physical cutting and polishing of gemstones to metaphorically refining poetry, essays, and human character.

  • The famous Chinese idiom '玉不琢，不成器' originates from the ancient classic 'Book of Rites' (礼记), emphasizing the necessity of education and discipline.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: タク / Kun: みが.く
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
탁
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Picture a master lapidary carefully cutting a raw piece of JADE (王) atop a ancient MOUND (冢), chiseling away imperfections with laser focus.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
豖
chùa shackled pigPhonetic Core (声旁)
冢
zhǒngmound; burial mound+ 冖 (cover)
啄
zhuóto peck+ 口 (mouth)
涿
zhuōused in place names+ 氵 (water)
Explore this family →
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
啄(zhuó)
啄 has the mouth radical (口) because a bird pecks with its mouth. 琢 has the jade radical (王) because you cut and polish jade.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
我们要认真[___]每一篇课文。
Clue: zhuó
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing 琢 (zhuó - to cut jade) with 啄 (zhuó - to peck), mixing up the left-hand radicals (王 vs 口).

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does 琢 mean and how is it pronounced with its tone?
Production: How do you write the character for cutting jade (zhuó) using the jade radical and phonetic component?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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