硷 meaning and stroke order
Alkaline, alkali, lye, salt
How to write 硷, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 硷
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- variant of 鹼|碱[jian3]
How 硷 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mineral.
石 gives the meaning and 佥 hints at the sound.
Radical: 石 (stone), shared by 114 characters on this site.
How to remember 硷
The stone radical 石 (shí) on the left points to a mineral, and 佥 (qiān) on the right gives the sound. Picture a white mineral crust on rocks that tastes bitter and alkaline.
硷 is a variant form of 碱 (jiǎn), and today 碱 is the standard way to write it in mainland China. You may still see 硷 in older texts or on some signs. Example: 这里的土地含硷很多。(Zhèlǐ de tǔdì hán jiǎn hěn duō.) The soil here contains a lot of alkali.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 硷 with 验 (yàn, to test), which has the same 佥 part but uses the horse radical 马. Remember that 硷 has 石 because alkali is a mineral, and it is read jiǎn with a third tone.
Questions about 硷
How many strokes are in 硷?
硷 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 硷 mean?
硷 (jiǎn) means alkaline, alkali, lye, salt.
How do you pronounce 硷?
硷 is pronounced jiǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 硷?
The radical of 硷 is 石, which carries the idea of "stone". Dictionaries list 硷 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 硷?
The traditional form of 硷 is 礆. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 硷 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Should I write 硷 or 碱 in modern Chinese?
Use 碱 (jiǎn). It is the standard form in modern dictionaries and textbooks. 硷 is only an accepted variant.
What common words use this character?
Common words include 碱性 (jiǎnxìng, alkaline), 纯碱 (chúnjiǎn, soda ash), and 盐碱地 (yánjiǎndì, saline alkaline land). In these words 硷 can replace 碱, but 碱 is far more common.