How to Write 瑰 (guī) — Meaning “extraordinary”

Picture a jade (王) spirit (鬼) that is so rare and beautiful it is beyond ordinary. You can imagine a ghost wearing a crown of roses, since 瑰 is most commonly used in 玫瑰 (rose). This image links the character to its meaning of "extraordinary" and helps you recall its pinyin guī.

Write the left radical 王 with the third horizontal stroke slightly shorter than the first, and keep it narrower than the right component 鬼. For 鬼, pay attention to the tall, straight stroke for the "demon" radical (white 白 + 儿 + 厶); many learners make the top too wide. Also ensure the final dot (丶) inside 鬼 is clearly placed.

Both 球 (qiú, ball) and 琅 (láng, glittering jade) share the 王 radical but have different phonetic components. 瑰 always carries the meaning of extraordinary or beautiful, especially in 玫瑰 (rose) and 瑰宝 (treasure), while 球 is used for spherical objects and 琅 for the sound of jade or clarity. Visually, 瑰 has the complex 鬼 on the right, unlike the simpler right sides of 球 (求) and 琅 (良).

瑰 appears most often in the word 玫瑰 (méi guī, rose), which is a popular flower symbolizing love in Chinese culture. It is also used in formal or literary terms like 瑰宝 (treasure) to describe cultural relics, and 瑰丽 (magnificent) to praise scenery or art. The character itself is not part of HSK but is common in poetry and descriptions of beauty.

Common words containing 瑰 include: 玫瑰 (méi guī) — Rose; 瑰宝 (guī bǎo) — treasure; 瑰丽 (guī lì) — magnificent.