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铄 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
铄shuòto melt, to smelt; polish, shinei, 10 strokes, radical 钅, rank #92862, Very Hard
铄shuòbrightunknown, 10 strokes, radical 钅, rank #92862, Very Hard
铄shuòto fuseunknown, 10 strokes, radical 钅, rank #92862, Very Hard
shuò(shuo4) T4
  1. 1to melt, to smelt; polish, shine
  2. 2bright
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

铄(鑠)shuò(shuo4)

The character 铄 (shuò) primarily means to melt or smelt, often in the context of metals or ores. It can also imply polishing or shining, referring to the brightening of surfaces. This word is commonly used in metallurgical contexts and can express the idea of fusion or transformation.

Strokes10Radical钅Frequency#92862DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, metallurgy has historical significance, particularly during the Bronze Age when metalworking advanced. The practice of smelting and refining metals is not only an industrial process but also tied to ancient craftsmanship and art.

Memory Tip

Imagine a shiny metal that's been melted down and polished to a mirror finish. The character 铄 combines the metal radical '金' (jīn) on the left, which relates to metals, with '若' (ruò) on the right, suggesting the action of becoming bright or polished. Think of it as turning dull metal into something that shines.

Meanings of 铄

shuò(shuo4)
1to melt, to smelt; polish, shine
2bright
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 铄

铄Simplified
鑠Traditional
10Strokes
钅Radical
成语chéngyǔidiom (id.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 铄

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Podcast: 铄

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AI Study Notes for 铄

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone when pronouncing 铄 (shuò) as it can be easily confused with other similar-sounding words. This character is generally used in formal or technical contexts, such as in metallurgy. Common collocations include 铄金 (shuò jīn - smelting metals) and 铄石 (shuò shí - melting stones).

HSK Study Tips

Although 铄 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects with HSK level 4 terms related to materials and processing, such as 金属 (jīnshǔ - metal) and 熔化 (rónghuà - to melt). Focus on understanding its usage in scientific texts to reinforce vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 铄 (shuò) with similar-sounding characters due to tonal errors. For example, mispronouncing it as 'shuó' (second tone) can lead to misunderstandings, as it would not convey the intended meaning of melting or smelting.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 铄

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Etymology of 铄

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

metal

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 铄

  1. 1The meaning half钅 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half乐 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 铄? 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 铄?

Decomposition of 铄

IDS Structure⿰钅乐
铄Full Character
=
钅jin1
left
乐Le4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 铄?

How to say to melt, to smelt; polish, shine in Chinese

“to melt, to smelt; polish, shine” in Chinese is铄shuò

The character 铄 (shuò) primarily means to melt or smelt, often in the context of metals or ores. It can also imply polishing or shining, referring to the brightening of surfaces. This word is commonly used in metallurgical contexts and can express the idea of fusion or transformation.

When to use 铄

Be cautious with the tone when pronouncing 铄 (shuò) as it can be easily confused with other similar-sounding words. This character is generally used in formal or technical contexts, such as in metallurgy. Common collocations include 铄金 (shuò jīn - smelting metals) and 铄石 (shuò shí - melting stones).

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 铄 (shuò) with similar-sounding characters due to tonal errors. For example, mispronouncing it as 'shuó' (second tone) can lead to misunderstandings, as it would not convey the intended meaning of melting or smelting.

Write 铄

铄

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

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Word Family of 铄

Words Containing This Character4
矍铄hale and hearty矍鑠
铄shuòbright鑠
众口铄金fig. public clamor can obscure the actual truth眾口鑠金
闪铄flickering閃鑠
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 矍铄 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 铄

铄 is not commonly used in everyday conversation; it is more prevalent in technical or scientific contexts related to metallurgy.

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