Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (王) is compressed and narrower, while the right component (鬼) is wide and features a trailing sweeping hook at the bottom right.
1. Meaning
extraordinary, remarkable
semiprecious stone (mostly used in the compound 玫瑰 méiguī for rose)
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "i" per the side-by-side rule (in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
Initial Consonant
g
Type: Unaspirated Velar
Sounds like: g sound as in go
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: No burst of air (sounds like 'c' in Vietnamese 'cá' or 'k' in English 'skate').
Tongue & Mouth Position: Back of the tongue raised against the soft palate
Final Rhyme
ui
Vowel Group: -i vowel group
Sounds like: rhymes with 'way' or '-uei'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'way'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Abbreviated Rhyme Rule: ui is short for uei, featuring an embedded 'e' glide
Tone
T1 (55)
5 → 5 (55)
1st Tone (High-Flat)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 is a high level pitch, similar to holding a flat musical note at the top of your speaking range.
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse with the second tone (guí) or fourth tone (guì); ensure the pitch remains flat and high.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Keep your voice steady and high, like singing a sustained high note on the word 'way'.
3. Writing
Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 14 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (王) is compressed and narrower, while the right component (鬼) is wide and features a trailing sweeping hook at the bottom right.
4. Components
Radical王 · Jade Radical (when on left as 𤣩) (jade, precious stones)
Semantic Clue (形旁):王 (Indicates that the character relates to a precious stone or jade)
Phonetic Clue (声旁):鬼 (original sound: guǐ)
A precious stone (王) associated with ghosts or spirits (鬼), referring to a rare, uncanny, or extraordinary gem.
王 jade / stone semantic
鬼 ghost phonetic
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
8· Phonetic Root: 鬼 (guǐ)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)
Origin: Combined from the jade radical (王) indicating material and the phonetic 'ghost' (鬼) component representing the sound guǐ, shifting tone to guī.
Semantic Evolution: Originally referred to a special kind of jade or precious stone, later generalized to mean magnificent, marvelous, or extraordinary (as in 瑰丽).
Most modern speakers only encounter this character inside the everyday word for rose: 玫瑰 (méiguī).
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
côi
High level or level tone correspondence
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: カイ
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
괴
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story
You are digging in a spooky cave with ghosts (鬼), and you suddenly unearth a glowing, magnificent jade stone (王) that is truly EXTRAORDINARY (瑰).
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
鬼
guǐdisembodied spirit; ghost; devil; (suffix) person with a certain vice or addiction etcPhonetic Core (声旁)
槐 has the wood radical (木) for trees, while 瑰 has the jade radical (王) for stones.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
这朵[___]非常漂亮。
Clue: guī
Common Learner Pitfall
Confusing the right-hand phonetic component 鬼 with other similar complex radicals, or forgetting that the left side is the compressed jade radical (王).
Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 瑰 combined with 木 to make 槐, or standing alone in 玫瑰, how do you pronounce it?
Production: How do you write the character for 'extraordinary/rose-part' (guī) with jade and ghost components?
Real-World Video Context
Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.
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瑰guīextraordinary or semiprecious stone
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