镍 (niè) · nickel (chemical element, symbol Ni)

Meanings

1 nickel (chemical element, symbol Ni)

Characters

镍

niè

nickel (element)

Examples

HSK 7-9

镍常用于制造不锈钢和硬币。

Niè cháng yòngyú zhìzào búxiùgāng hé yìngbì.

Nickel is commonly used in manufacturing stainless steel and coins.

HSK 7-9

这枚硬币含有大量的镍。

Zhè méi yìngbì hányǒu dàliàng de niè.

This coin contains a large amount of nickel.

Tips

memory

镍 has the metal radical 钅 on the left - a clue it's a metallic element. The pronunciation niè sounds like the German Nickel, the word's origin.

Components

radical

钅 jīn

metal; gold (left-side radical of 金)

Left metal radical, the simplified left-side form of 金. Carries the meaning: 镍 is the chemical element nickel, one of dozens of modern element names coined by adding the metal radical to a phonetic body. Same pattern as 铜 copper, 铁 iron, 铝 aluminium, 钠 sodium.

phonetic

臬 niè

standard; target

Right 臬 supplies the sound niè directly. Originally 臬 meant a measuring post or target arrow used as a standard, but in 镍 it functions purely as a phonetic frame. Modern Chinese element names are designed this way - a phonetic chosen to match the foreign sound (nickel → niè), plus the radical naming the category (metal).