玉(たま)

玉(たま) refers to round objects, gems, or balls. The kanji can also be read as ぎょく in some compounds.

Compounds

• 目玉(めだま): eyeball
• 玉子(たまご): egg (also written 卵(たまご))
• 玉(たま)ねぎ: onion
• 水玉(みずたま): polka dots, water droplet
• 玉入(たまい)れ: ball-toss game
• 百円玉(ひゃくえんだま): 100-yen coin

Common expressions

• 玉(たま)に瑕(きず): a fly in the ointment (lit. a flaw in a gem)
• 玉(たま)のような肌(はだ): flawless skin (lit. skin like a gem)

Pronunciation

• たま: native Japanese reading (round object, ball)
• ぎょく: Sino-Japanese reading in 玉座(ぎょくざ) (throne), 宝玉(ほうぎょく) (jewel)

Usage

Can refer to bullets (鉄砲玉(てっぽうだま)) in informal speech.