璧 means “jade disk, perfection”

へき · heki

Also: sphere, ball

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

たま

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ヘキ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 18 strokes

The story

Jade (玉) under 辟: a 璧 was a flat ring of jade, a treasure in ancient China. 完璧, perfect, comes from the tale of an envoy who carried a priceless one home intact. The bottom is 玉, not the 土 of 壁, wall.

Used in 完璧 (kanpeki, perfect) and 双璧 (souheki, the two greatest)

More from Kiln & Forge

• 製 manufacture
• 創 create
• 巧 skillful
• 陶 pottery
• 珠 pearl
• 匠 artisan
• 拙 clumsy
• 漆 lacquer
• 鋳 cast
• 窯 kiln
• 繕 mend
• 錬 refine

Learn 璧 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.