铁 meaning and stroke order
Iron (metal); arms; weapons
How to write 铁, 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.
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Meaning of 铁
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- iron (metal)
- arms
- weapons
- hard
- strong
- violent
How 铁 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Metal.
钅 gives the meaning and 失 hints at the sound.
Radical: 钅 (gold), shared by 223 characters on this site.
How to remember 铁
铁 combines the metal radical 钅 with 失 (shī), which gives the sound. Picture a metal tool you lose (失) and can never replace because it was made of solid iron.
铁 means iron, and it often describes something firm or unbreakable, like 铁饭碗 (tiě fànwǎn), an "iron rice bowl" or secure job. Day to day you will see it most in transport words like 地铁 (dìtiě) and 高铁 (gāotiě). Example: 我每天坐地铁上班。(Wǒ měitiān zuò dìtiě shàngbān.) I take the subway to work every day.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write the right side as 夫 or 矢 instead of 失. The top stroke of 失 must stick out to the left. Also say tiě with a third tone, not tiē or tiè.
Common words with 铁
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 地铁 | dìtiě | underground railway; subway; subway train | HSK 2 |
| 地铁站 | dìtiězhàn | subway station | HSK 2 |
| 铁路 | tiělù | railroad; railway | HSK 3 |
| 高铁 | gāotiě | high speed rail | HSK 4 |
| 钢铁 | gāngtiě | steel | |
| 铁轨 | tiěguǐ | rail; railroad track | |
| 铁链 | tiěliàn | iron chain | |
| 手无寸铁 | shǒuwúcùntiě | lit. not an inch of steel (idiom); unarmed and defenseless | |
| 磁铁 | cítiě | magnet | |
| 铁丝网 | tiěsīwǎng | wire netting | |
| 铁匠 | tiějiang | blacksmith; ironworker | |
| 铁定 | tiědìng | unalterable; certainly | |
| 废铁 | fèitiě | scrap iron | |
| 铁道 | tiědào | railway line; rail track |
铁 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 铁
How many strokes are in 铁?
铁 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 铁 mean?
铁 (tiě) means iron (metal); arms; weapons. A common word with it is 地铁 (dìtiě), meaning "underground railway; subway; subway train".
How do you pronounce 铁?
铁 is pronounced tiě, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 铁?
The radical of 铁 is 钅, which carries the idea of "gold". Dictionaries list 铁 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 铁?
The traditional form of 铁 is 鐵. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 铁 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 铁 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 铁 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 铁 and 钢?
铁 (tiě) is iron, and 钢 (gāng) is steel. Together, 钢铁 (gāngtiě) means steel or the iron and steel industry in general.
Can 铁 describe a person or friendship?
Yes. In casual speech 铁 means very close or loyal, as in 我们关系很铁 (wǒmen guānxi hěn tiě), "we are really tight." A 铁哥们 (tiě gēmen) is a best buddy.