How to Write 琼 (qióng) — Meaning “Fine jade; exquisite.”

Imagine a king (王) who lives in the capital city (京) and owns a piece of very fine jade. The dot on top of 京 looks like a small precious gem placed on the capital. This visual image helps link the components to the meaning of exquisite jade.

Pay attention to the proportions: the left radical 王 should be slightly narrower than the right part 京. A common mistake is forgetting the small dot at the top of 京 — the first stroke is a dot, then a horizontal line. Also, the final horizontal stroke of 王 must be longer than the first two to balance the character.

The right side is the main difference: 琼 has 京 (capital), while 珙 has 共 (together) and 珞 has 各 (each). In meaning, 琼 specifically refers to fine jade, 珙 is a rare type of jade piece, and 珞 often appears in 珞巴 (Lhoba people) or loanwords. Visually, 琼 has a dot on top of 京, while 珙 has a symmetrical shape with five strokes.

琼 appears in the common word 琼脂 (qióng zhī), meaning agar-agar, a jelly-like substance used in food and labs. It is also part of 琼州 (qióng zhōu), an old name for Hainan Island. Culturally, the name 琼瑶 (Qióng Yáo) refers to a famous Taiwanese romance novelist, so the character often carries a romantic, elegant feeling.

Common words containing 琼 include: 琼瑶 (qióng yáo) — Fine jade; also the name of a famous romance novelist.; 琼脂 (qióng zhī) — Agar-agar.; 琼州 (qióng zhōu) — Qiongzhou (an old name for Hainan)..