硒 (xī): selenium (chemical element, Se)

Meanings

硒是人体需要的微量元素。

Xī shì réntǐ xūyào de wēiliàng yuánsù.

Selenium is a trace element the body needs.

这些鸡蛋标榜富硒。

Zhèxiē jīdàn biāobǎng fù xī.

These eggs are advertised as selenium-rich.

memory

Stone radical plus the sound 西 (west): like most element names, 硒 is built from a mineral radical and a phonetic that just spells the sound 'xī'.

radical

石 shí

stone; mineral

Left-side stone radical 石. Non-metal element names typically take the stone radical, as in 硫 (sulfur) and 碳 (carbon).

phonetic

西 xī

west; (here) sound

Right side 西 supplies the sound xī. It is pure phonetic — chosen so the element's name reads 'xī'.

硒 xī