镭 meaning and stroke order
Radium
How to write 镭, stroke by stroke
18 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 镭
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- radium (chemistry)
How 镭 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Metal.
钅 gives the meaning and 雷 hints at the sound.
Radical: 钅 (gold), shared by 223 characters on this site.
How to remember 镭
镭 combines the metal radical 钅 with 雷 (léi, thunder), which gives the sound. Picture a glowing metal that seems to crackle with thunder-like energy, and you have radium.
镭 is mainly used as the name of the chemical element radium, so you will see it in science texts. It also appears in the loanword 镭射 (léishè), a sound-based word for laser that is common in Taiwan, while mainland China usually says 激光 (jīguāng). Example: 居里夫人发现了镭。(Jūlǐ fūrén fāxiàn le léi.) Marie Curie discovered radium.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 雷 alone or confuse 镭 with 蕾 (lěi, flower bud), which has the grass radical on top and a third tone. Remember that the metal radical 钅 on the left marks the element, and the tone is second, like 雷.
Common words with 镭
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 镭射 | léishè | laser (loanword); Taiwanese term for 激光[ji1 guang1] |
镭 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 镭
How many strokes are in 镭?
镭 is written with 18 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 镭 mean?
镭 (léi) means radium. A common word with it is 镭射 (léishè), meaning "laser (loanword); Taiwanese term for 激光[ji1 guang1]".
How do you pronounce 镭?
镭 is pronounced léi, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 镭?
The radical of 镭 is 钅, which carries the idea of "gold". Dictionaries list 镭 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 镭?
The traditional form of 镭 is 鐳. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 镭 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why does 镭射 mean laser if 镭 means radium?
镭射 is a phonetic loanword. The characters were chosen because 镭射 (léishè) sounds like the English word laser, not because lasers have anything to do with radium.
Is 镭射 understood in mainland China?
Many people recognize it, especially in product names or older advertising, but the standard mainland term is 激光 (jīguāng). In Taiwan, 镭射 is the everyday word.