钡 meaning and stroke order
Barium
How to write 钡, 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.
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Meaning of 钡
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- barium (chemistry)
How 钡 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Metal.
钅 gives the meaning and 贝 hints at the sound.
Radical: 钅 (gold), shared by 223 characters on this site.
How to remember 钡
The metal radical 钅 on the left tells you this is a metal element, and 贝 (bèi, shell) on the right gives the sound. Picture a shiny metal shell to remember 钡 (bèi), barium.
钡 is used almost only in chemistry and medicine, usually inside compound words. A common one is the barium meal given before stomach X-rays: 医生让我喝钡餐。 (Yīshēng ràng wǒ hē bèicān.) The doctor had me drink a barium meal.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes mix up 钡 (bèi) with 钯 (bǎ, palladium) or 铂 (bó, platinum) because they all share the 钅 radical. Check the right side: only 贝 gives the bèi sound.
钡 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 钡
How many strokes are in 钡?
钡 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 钡 mean?
钡 (bèi) means barium.
How do you pronounce 钡?
钡 is pronounced bèi, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 钡?
The radical of 钡 is 钅, which carries the idea of "gold". Dictionaries list 钡 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 钡?
The traditional form of 钡 is 鋇. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 钡 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 钡 pronounced the same as 贝?
Yes. Both are bèi with the fourth tone. The 贝 part was chosen because it carries this sound.
What are some common words with 钡?
You will see 钡餐 (bèicān, barium meal) and 硫酸钡 (liúsuānbèi, barium sulfate). These come up mostly in hospitals and chemistry classes.