钙 meaning and stroke order
Calcium (chemistry)
How to write 钙, stroke by stroke
9 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
- 3
- 4
- 5
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- 8
- 9
Meaning of 钙
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- calcium (chemistry)
How 钙 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Metal.
钅 gives the meaning and 丐 hints at the sound.
Radical: 钅 (gold), shared by 223 characters on this site.
How to remember 钙
The metal radical 钅 on the left marks a chemical element, and 丐 (gài) on the right gives the sound. Think of calcium as a "metal" that sounds just like 丐.
钙 appears mostly in health, food and science contexts, often in words like 补钙 (bǔ gài, to take calcium supplements) and 钙片 (gài piàn, calcium tablets). Example: 牛奶里有很多钙。(Niúnǎi lǐ yǒu hěn duō gài.) Milk has a lot of calcium.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes confuse the right side 丐 with 丏 (miǎn) or misread it as 亏, so check that 丐 has the top horizontal stroke and the small hook shape inside. Also keep the fourth tone, gài, not gāi as in 该.
Questions about 钙
How many strokes are in 钙?
钙 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 钙 mean?
钙 (gài) means calcium (chemistry).
How do you pronounce 钙?
钙 is pronounced gài, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 钙?
The radical of 钙 is 钅, which carries the idea of "gold". Dictionaries list 钙 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 钙?
The traditional form of 钙 is 鈣. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 钙 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 钙 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 钙 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do you say "calcium deficiency" in Chinese?
Say 缺钙 (quē gài), literally "lacking calcium." For example, 老人容易缺钙 (Lǎorén róngyì quē gài) means "Older people easily become calcium deficient."
Why do so many element names in Chinese use the 钅 radical?
Most metallic elements are written with the metal radical 钅 plus a sound component, like 钙 (gài), 铁 (tiě, iron) and 钠 (nà, sodium). The radical tells you it is a metal, and the other part hints at the pronunciation.