Skip to content
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
錫 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
錫xītin; to bestow, to conferx, 16 strokes, radical 釒, rank #23738, Very Hard
xī(xi1) T1
  1. 1tin; to bestow, to confer
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

錫xī(xi1)

The character 錫 (xī) primarily means 'tin,' a metal used in alloys and various applications. It can also mean 'to bestow' or 'to confer,' often seen in formal contexts such as granting honors or titles.

Strokes16Radical釒Frequency#23738DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, the act of conferring titles or honors is significant, especially during ceremonies. The use of 錫 can often be seen in historical texts that discuss royal decrees or the granting of official titles.

Memory Tip

Imagine a shiny tin can (representing tin) that you are bestowing upon a friend as a gift. The character 錫 has the metal radical (金) on the left, representing metals, while the right side (可) can remind you of 'to give' or 'to allow'. Together, they symbolize the act of giving something valuable.

Meanings of 錫

xī(xi1)
1tin; to bestow, to confer
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 錫

錫Simplified
16Strokes
釒Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 錫

JasonAmy

Podcast: 錫

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 錫

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 錫 with similar-sounding words. In formal writing, use it when discussing awards or honors; in everyday conversation, it might not come up often. Remember that 錫 is specific to the metal tin and should not be used interchangeably with other metals.

HSK Study Tips

Although 錫 is not part of the current HSK vocabulary, it can be connected to HSK Level 4 words related to metals and gifting, like 金 (jīn - gold) and 赠 (zèng - to gift). Students should focus on the context where this character appears, particularly in technical or formal discussions.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 錫 with similar characters, leading to incorrect usage. For instance, using 錫 to refer to silver instead of its correct meaning of tin would be a mistake. The correct use should clearly identify it with tin or the act of bestowing.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 錫

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 錫 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 錫

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 易 represents the sound. Simplified form of 錫.

Memory Hint

metal

Semantic (meaning)釒
+
Phonetic (sound)易
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 錫

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 易 represents the sound. Simplified form of 錫.

  1. 1The meaning half釒 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half易 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaymetal
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 錫? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 錫?

Decomposition of 錫

IDS Structure⿰釒易
錫Full Character
=
釒jin1
left
易Yi4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 錫?

How to say tin; to bestow, to confer in Chinese

“tin; to bestow, to confer” in Chinese is錫xī

The character 錫 (xī) primarily means 'tin,' a metal used in alloys and various applications. It can also mean 'to bestow' or 'to confer,' often seen in formal contexts such as granting honors or titles.

When to use 錫

Be careful not to confuse 錫 with similar-sounding words. In formal writing, use it when discussing awards or honors; in everyday conversation, it might not come up often. Remember that 錫 is specific to the metal tin and should not be used interchangeably with other metals.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 錫 with similar characters, leading to incorrect usage. For instance, using 錫 to refer to silver instead of its correct meaning of tin would be a mistake. The correct use should clearly identify it with tin or the act of bestowing.

Write 錫

錫

Practice writing 錫 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 錫

Words Containing This Character14
锡xīto bestow錫
无锡Wuxi prefecture level city in Jiangsu無錫
无锡市Wuxi prefecture level city in Jiangsu無錫市
锡安Zion錫安
锡箔tinfoil錫箔
锡兰Ceylon (former name of Sri Lanka)錫蘭
阎锡山Yan Xishan (1883-1960), warlord in Shanxi閻錫山
莱比锡Leipzig, city in the state of Saxony, Germany萊比錫
麦肯锡MacKenzie麥肯錫
刘禹锡Liu Yuxi (772-842), Tang poet劉禹錫
锡矿tin ore錫礦
焊锡solder焊錫
锡金Sikkim, Indian state bordering Tibet錫金
锡林郭勒盟Xilin Gol league, a prefecture level subdivision of Inner Mongolia錫林郭勒盟
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 锡 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 錫

The main meanings are 'tin,' referring to the metal, and 'to bestow,' used in formal contexts.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 錫?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.