Japanese kanji 珍: rare and unusual

The idea

珍 has nine strokes; follow the linked diagram. 珍しい（めずらしい） is an i-adjective, 珍しく（めずらしく） its adverbial form, and 珍品（ちんぴん） a rare or unusual object.

Examples

• この鳥とりは日本にほんでは珍めずらしいです。This bird is rare in Japan.
• 市場いちばで珍めずらしい花はなを見みました。I saw a rare flower at the market.
• 今日きょうは父ちちが珍めずらしく早はやく起おきました。Unusually, my father got up early today.
• あの博物館はくぶつかんは珍品ちんぴんを展示てんじしています。That museum displays rare objects.
• この町まちでは雪ゆきが降ふるのは珍めずらしいです。It is rare for snow to fall in this town.
• この硬貨こうかは珍品ちんぴんですが、高たかくありません。This coin is a rare item, but it is not expensive.

Watch out

Rare does not necessarily mean valuable: 珍品 can describe something unusual, even inexpensive. Do not confuse 珍 with the similar-looking 診.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 珍しい in hiragana.

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   めずらしい

   珍しい is read めずらしい; it describes something rarely seen.

2. Write the reading of 珍品 in hiragana.

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   ちんぴん

   珍品 is read ちんぴん; it refers to a rare or unusual object.

3. Choose the missing kanji: ＿しい（めずらしい）［珍／診］.

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   珍

   珍 completes 珍しい, read めずらしい. 診 belongs to words such as 診察.

Use it today

Write 珍 using the diagram, then cover the table and read 珍しい and 珍品. Make a sentence about something unusual.