Japanese

たま
Meaning: ball; sphere; gem; treasure
Part of Speech: Noun Alternative Readings: ぎょく

Listen to pronunciation

Handwriting

玉

Example sentences

He treasures his daughter as the apple of his eye.
占い師は水晶の玉をのぞき込んで、未来を予言した。
The fortune teller looked into the crystal ball and predicted the future.

Usage Notes

Used for various round objects (spheres, beads) as well as precious things (gems). '掌中の玉' is an idiom for something extremely precious.

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