珉
stone resembling jade
Strokes9
Readings
On'yomi
- ビン
- ミン
Kun'yomi
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Meaning
珉 refers to a type of stone that looks like jade but is not true jade. Its meaning is narrow and concrete: a jade-like stone.
Study
Etymology
珉 combines 王 (jade/jewel) with 民, which likely contributes the sound. The character denotes a stone similar to jade.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 王 (jewel) tells you it's a gem-like stone, and the right side 民 (people) suggests it's a common stone that ordinary people might mistake for jade.
Reading mnemonic
For ビン, imagine a bin full of stones that look like jade: bin -> ビン, and you pick one out to examine.