碱 meaning and stroke order
Alkaline, alkali, lye, salt
How to write 碱, stroke by stroke
14 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 碱
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (chemistry) base; alkali; soda
- variant of 鹼|碱[jian3]
How 碱 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mineral.
石 gives the meaning and 咸 hints at the sound.
Radical: 石 (stone), shared by 114 characters on this site.
How to remember 碱
碱 combines 石 (shí, stone) for the mineral meaning with 咸 (xián, salty) as the sound hint. Picture a salty-tasting mineral rock, which is what alkali deposits are.
碱 means alkali or base in chemistry and also refers to soda used in cooking, like the alkaline water in Chinese noodles. It appears in words like 碱性 (jiǎnxìng, alkaline) and 酸碱 (suānjiǎn, acid and base). Example: 这种水是碱性的。(Zhè zhǒng shuǐ shì jiǎnxìng de.) This water is alkaline.
Common mistake: Learners often read 碱 as xián because of the 咸 component, but it is pronounced jiǎn with the third tone. Also do not confuse it with 减 (jiǎn, to reduce), which sounds the same but has the water-drop radical 冫 instead of 石.
Questions about 碱
How many strokes are in 碱?
碱 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 碱 mean?
碱 (jiǎn) means alkaline, alkali, lye, salt.
How do you pronounce 碱?
碱 is pronounced jiǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 碱?
The radical of 碱 is 石, which carries the idea of "stone". Dictionaries list 碱 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 碱?
The traditional form of 碱 is 鹻 and 鹼. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 碱 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is 碱水面 in Chinese food?
碱水面 (jiǎnshuǐ miàn) are noodles made with alkaline water. The alkali gives them a springy texture and yellowish color, similar to ramen.
How do you say acid and base in Chinese?
Acid is 酸 (suān) and base is 碱 (jiǎn). Together they form 酸碱 (suānjiǎn), as in 酸碱度 (suānjiǎndù), which means pH level.