氦 meaning and stroke order
Helium
How to write 氦, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
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- 4
- 5
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- 9
- 10
Meaning of 氦
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- helium (chemistry)
How 氦 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Gas.
气 gives the meaning and 亥 hints at the sound.
Radical: 气 (air), shared by 24 characters on this site.
How to remember 氦
The 气 (qì, gas) frame tells you this is a gas, and 亥 (hài) inside gives the sound. Picture a light gas 气 wrapped around 亥 floating up like a helium balloon.
氦 (hài) is used for the element helium in science and everyday talk about balloons. It usually appears as 氦气 (hàiqì, helium gas). Example: 这个气球里装的是氦气。(Zhège qìqiú lǐ zhuāng de shì hàiqì.) This balloon is filled with helium.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 氦 (hài) with 氢 (qīng, hydrogen), since both are light gases under the 气 radical. Also keep the fourth tone hài, the same as 亥, and do not read it as hái.
Questions about 氦
How many strokes are in 氦?
氦 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 氦 mean?
氦 (hài) means helium.
How do you pronounce 氦?
氦 is pronounced hài, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 氦?
The radical of 氦 is 气, which carries the idea of "air". Dictionaries list 氦 under this radical.
Why do so many chemical gases share the 气 part?
Chinese names for elements that are gases at room temperature use the 气 radical, like 氧 (yǎng, oxygen), 氮 (dàn, nitrogen) and 氦 (hài). The other part usually hints at the pronunciation.
How do you say helium voice or helium balloon in Chinese?
A helium balloon is 氦气球 (hàiqìqiú). Speaking after breathing helium is often described as 吸氦气变声 (xī hàiqì biàn shēng), inhaling helium to change your voice.