How to Write 珉 (mín) — Meaning “jade-like stone”

Imagine a common person (民) picking up a stone that looks like jade (王). The stone is not real jade, just a jade-like stone, which matches the meaning of 珉.

The left radical 王 should be narrow to leave space for 民 on the right. Pay attention to the last stroke of 民: it is an oblique hook that extends outwards. A common mistake is making the two parts unbalanced, with the right side too wide.

珉 means 'jade-like stone' or 'fake jade', while 玓 refers to a small, brilliant jade ornament or sparkle. 玖 is used as the character for 'nine' in financial contexts to prevent forgery, and also denotes a kind of dark jade. Their meanings and usage are distinct.

珉 is not common in daily language but appears in classical literature and in compounds like 珉玉 (fake jade) and 采珉 (collecting jade-like stones). It is sometimes used in personal names to suggest the beauty of jade without claiming true jade.

Common words containing 珉 include: 珉石 (mín shí) — jade-like stone; 珉玉 (mín yù) — jade-like stone / fake jade; 采珉 (cǎi mín) — to collect fine stones or jade-like stones.