宝石
hōseki[ho̞ːse̞kʲi]
The Japanese word for "gem" is 宝石 (hōseki).
宝石 refers to any precious or semi-precious stone that is valuable and beautiful, or can describe jewelry as a whole.
Meaning: precious stone (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 宝石 is a compound of 宝 (treasure) and 石 (stone).
How do you pronounce it?
hōseki
Did you know?
- The word 石 in 宝石 is also used in 石鹸 for 'soap', because early soap was made from alkaline minerals and ash.
- When referring to a 'gem' of a person, Japanese speakers rarely use 宝石 and instead use the word 珠玉 to describe something flawless and rare.
- If you were describing a person with eyes like gems, you might use the word 珠 (tama), which refers to a bead or pearl, rather than the more literal 宝石.
Examples in context
- ついに彼はその宝石を手に入れた。At last, the gem was in his hands.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 宝石 in a sentence.Tatoeba #202643 by arnab, translation #39877 by CK
- 彼女は宝石が大好きです。 (かのじょはほうせきがだいすきです。)She loves gemstones.
- その宝石はとても美しいです。Sono hōseki wa totemo utsukushii desu.That gem is very beautiful.
- 箱の中に宝石が入っています。Hako no naka ni hōseki ga haitte imasu.There is a gem inside the box.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are looking at a jewelry display in a shop.
- 蓮 Renこの宝石はどう思いますか？Kono hōseki wa dō omoimasu ka?What do you think of this gem?
- 美咲 Misaki蓮さん、とても輝いていますね。Ren-san, totemo kagayaitimasu ne.Ren, it is shining very brightly.
- 蓮 Ren美咲さんの瞳のように美しいです。Misaki-san no hitomi no yō ni utsukushii desu.It is as beautiful as your eyes, Misaki.
- 美咲 Misakiそんなこと言わないでください。Sonna koto iwanaide kudasai.Please don't say such things.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gem” translations and entries 宝石, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
