珠 means “pearl, bead”

しゅ · shu

Also: gem, jewel

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

たま

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

シュ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 10 strokes

The story

A jewel (王, the shape 玉 takes at the side) of vermilion (朱): picture a glowing bead. 真珠 is a pearl, like those farmed in Mie's Ago Bay, 数珠 are Buddhist prayer beads, and 珠算 is reckoning on the soroban.

Used in 真珠 (shinju, pearl), 数珠 (juzu, prayer beads), and 珠算 (shuzan, abacus arithmetic)

More from Kiln & Forge

• 匠 artisan
• 拙 clumsy
• 漆 lacquer
• 鋳 cast
• 窯 kiln
• 繕 mend
• 錬 refine
• 冶 smelt
• 璧 jade disk
• 製 manufacture
• 創 create
• 巧 skillful

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

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