How to Write 玡 (yá) — Meaning “a type of jade”

Think of a "jade tooth"—imagine a precious green tooth made of jade (王) with a sharp point (牙). This visual connects the radical to the right side and reminds you that 玡 is a special jade item. The word "yá" sounds like "yah!" as in surprise at finding such a gem.

Write the left radical 王 first (three horizontal strokes then a vertical), keeping it narrow and slightly elevated. Then add 牙 on the right—its first horizontal stroke should align with the top of 王, and the final hook must curl leftward, not straight down. A common mistake is making the 王 too wide or the 牙 too tall, which ruins the balance.

玡 (yá) has 牙 on the right and means a type of jade, while 玎 (dīng) has 丁 (nail) and describes the clinking sound of jade. 玑 (jī) has 几 (table) and refers to a pearl or an irregular jade. Visually, the right-side parts are distinct: 牙 vs. 丁 vs. 几, so remember 玡 has the tooth-like component.

玡 is rarely used alone; its main modern use is in the place name 琅玡 (Lángyá), a historical district in Shandong famous for Mount Langya. This name appears in ancient texts and is associated with the First Emperor of Qin's visits. Outside of proper names like 玡璋 (ceremonial jade) or personal names, 玡 is almost never used in everyday language.

Common words containing 玡 include: 琅玡 (láng yá) — Langya (a place name); 玡璋 (yá zhāng) — ceremonial jade; 玡玡 (yá yá) — Yaya (a name).