镀 (dù) · to plate (with metal), to electroplate, to gild

Meanings

1 to plate (with metal)
2 to electroplate
3 to gild

Characters

镀

dù

to plate; to electroplate

Examples

HSK 7-9

这枚戒指是镀金的，不是纯金。

Zhè méi jièzhi shì dù jīn de, búshì chúnjīn.

This ring is gold-plated, not solid gold.

HSK 7-9

工厂用电解法将铜镀到铁件上。

Gōngchǎng yòng diànjiě fǎ jiāng tóng dù dào tiě jiàn shàng.

The factory uses electrolysis to plate copper onto iron components.

Tips

usage

镀金 literally means gold-plating but is also used figuratively to mean gaining prestige through a prestigious foreign position or degree, 'gilding' one's reputation.

Components

radical

钅 jīn

metal; gold (left-side radical form of 金)

Left metal radical, the simplified side-form of 金. The indexing radical, marking 镀 as a metalwork verb: to plate or electroplate one metal over another. The same radical groups 镀 with 钢 (steel), 银 (silver), 铜 (copper), 铁 (iron), 锅 (pot), virtually all metal-related vocabulary.

phonetic

度 dù

degree; measure

Right 度 supplies the sound directly, dù matching the whole reading with no drift. 度 itself shows a hand measuring under a shelter. The same phonetic appears in 渡 (cross over, ferry), both pivoting on the dù sound. A faint semantic echo: plating requires precise measurement of thickness.