How to Write 瑶 (yáo) — Meaning “jade”

Imagine a jade piece (王) placed inside a kiln (symbolized by the right part 䍃) to become even more beautiful. This process creates 瑶, meaning precious jade.

Write the left radical 王 first: horizontal, horizontal, vertical, horizontal. Then write the right side 䍃: start with the top 爫 (dot, dot, left-falling), then middle 冖 (horizontal, vertical, horizontal), and finally bottom 曰 (vertical, horizontal fold, horizontal, horizontal). A common mistake is writing the bottom part as a wider 日 instead of the narrower 曰.

瑶 means beautiful jade and appears in words like 瑶池 (Jade Pool) and 瑶族 (Yao ethnic group). 琚 refers to a specific jade belt ornament and is less common, while 琛 means precious treasure and is often used in names. Visually, 瑶 has a more complex right side with multiple layers compared to 琚 and 琛.

瑶 is not in the HSK list but appears in cultural and mythological terms like 瑶池 (the Jade Pool of the Queen Mother of the West). It is also used in the name of the Yao ethnic group (瑶族) and is a popular character in female given names, symbolizing precious jade and beauty.

Common words containing 瑶 include: 瑶池 (yáo chí) — Jade Pool; 瑶族 (yáo zú) — Yao ethnic group; 瑶琴 (yáo qín) — Jade-decorated zither.