铅

鉛
qiān
noun #8,232

Meanings

  1. 1 lead (metal)

Examples

HSK 5
Wǒ wàng le dài qiānbǐ, néng jiè wǒ yì zhī ma?
I forgot to bring a pencil. Can I borrow one?
HSK 5
Qiān duì réntǐ yǒuhài.
Lead is harmful to the human body.

Tips

usage
钅(metal) + 㕣 - 铅笔 literally means 'lead pen' (pencil)

Components

radical
钅 jīn
metal; gold
The metal radical (left-side form of 金) marks 铅 as one of the metallic elements. It heads the chemistry family of metals - 铁 iron, 铜 copper, 银 silver, 锌 zinc - where 钅 frames a phonetic that names which metal.
phonetic
几 jī
small table; how many
The top portion of the right side approximates a 几 shape and contributes the upper half of the phonetic stem 㕣. Its standalone reading is incidental; here it is recruited mainly for its visual silhouette and supporting sound role.
phonetic
口 kǒu
mouth
Closes the lower half of the right side. Together with the 几 above it forms a phonetic unit historically read as a sound related to lead, linking 铅 to 沿 and 船 which share the same right-side compound.

Stroke Order

铅 qiān