国宝
guóbǎo · HSK 7
treasure
🐼 国 = nation + 宝 = treasure; the panda is China's literal 国宝
国 (guó) means country or nation; 宝 (bǎo) means treasure or precious thing. Together they mean national treasure — and in China the term most famously labels the giant panda.
国 — enclosure 囗 + jade 玉
国 is a simplified form of 國. The outer 囗 represents borders or an enclosed territory, while the inner 玉 (jade) suggests a treasured realm ruled by a sovereign. The traditional 國 used 或 inside, depicting a guarded region with a weapon, later simplified by replacing it with 玉.
宝 — roof 宀 + jade 玉 (simplified from 寶)
Originally written 寶, showing a roof 宀 over jade 玉, a jar 缶, and shell 貝 (money) — valuables kept safely at home. The simplified form 宝 keeps just the roof and jade, preserving the core idea of 'treasure.' It now means treasure, precious, or valuable.