珍贵 / 宝贵 / 名贵【zhēnguì / bǎoguì / míngguì】

珍贵, 宝贵 and 名贵 all say something is worth a lot. They split by where the value comes from: 宝贵 is usefulness, 珍贵 is rarity or feeling, and 名贵 is price and name.

宝贵 – useful and not to be wasted

宝贵 mostly goes with abstract nouns: 时间, 经验, 意见, 生命, 机会. Calling something 宝贵 says it helps you, and losing it would be a loss.

珍贵 – rare or dear

珍贵 goes with objects that can't be replaced – old photos, letters, cultural relics, rare animals – and with memories. The value is in the thing itself, not what it does for you.

名贵 – famous and expensive

名贵 is 名 "famous" plus 贵 "expensive". It goes with luxury goods: watches, wine, cars, flowers, furniture. It is never used for time or experience.

Choosing the wrong one

• × 名贵的时间 → 宝贵的时间
• × 宝贵的手表 → 名贵的手表
• × 名贵的回忆 → 珍贵的回忆