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锭 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
锭dìngspindle, ingot; tablet, slabq, 13 strokes, radical 钅, rank #27602, Very Hard
锭dìng(weaving) spindleunknown, 13 strokes, radical 钅, rank #27602, Very Hard
锭dìngpressed cake of medicine etcunknown, 13 strokes, radical 钅, rank #27602, Very Hard
锭dìngclassifier for: gold and silver ingots, ink sticksunknown, 13 strokes, radical 钅, rank #27602, Very Hard
dìng(ding4) T4
  1. 1spindle, ingot; tablet, slab
  2. 2(weaving) spindle
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March 24, 2026

锭(錠)dìng(ding4)

The character 锭 (dìng) primarily refers to a small, shaped mass of material, such as a spindle or ingot. It is often used in contexts involving metalworking or traditional crafts, as well as in medicine to describe pressed cakes of herbal remedies. This term suggests a solid, compact form used in specific industries.

Strokes13Radical钅Frequency#27602DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, 锭 is often used to refer to pressed cakes of medicinal herbs, which have been used for centuries for health treatments. This reflects the importance of herbal remedies in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a shiny silver ingot shaped like a small spindle. The character 锭 combines the metal radical (金) on the left, hinting at its connection to metal, with the sound component (丁) on the right that sounds like 'ding.' Picture the 'ding' sound when you strike metal to remember its meaning.

Meanings of 锭

dìng(ding4)
1spindle, ingot; tablet, slab
2(weaving) spindle
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 锭

锭Simplified
錠Traditional
13Strokes
钅Radical
量词liàngcímeasure word (mw.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 锭

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Podcast: 锭

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AI Study Notes for 锭

Usage Notes

A common mistake is confusing 锭 with similar-sounding characters. Note that 锭 specifically refers to solid, shaped objects and is not used in everyday conversation. It’s more formal and technical; therefore, it's typically found in industrial or medical contexts.

HSK Study Tips

As 锭 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, learners are encouraged to study it alongside related terms in metalworking and traditional medicine. Focus on the characters that deal with materials and classifiers, as 锭 is a classifier for certain objects like ingots and ink sticks.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 锭 with 丁 (dīng), which means 'nail' or 'small piece.' Remember that 锭 refers specifically to shaped masses like ingots, while 丁 is not related to materials.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 锭

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Etymology of 锭

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

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 定 represents the sound. Simplified form of 錠.

Memory Hint

metal

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 锭

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 定 represents the sound. Simplified form of 錠.

  1. 1The meaning half钅 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half定 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 锭? 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 锭?

Decomposition of 锭

IDS Structure⿰钅定
锭Full Character
=
钅jin1
left
定ding4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 锭?

How to say spindle, ingot; tablet, slab in Chinese

“spindle, ingot; tablet, slab” in Chinese is锭dìng

The character 锭 (dìng) primarily refers to a small, shaped mass of material, such as a spindle or ingot. It is often used in contexts involving metalworking or traditional crafts, as well as in medicine to describe pressed cakes of herbal remedies. This term suggests a solid, compact form used in specific industries.

When to use 锭

A common mistake is confusing 锭 with similar-sounding characters. Note that 锭 specifically refers to solid, shaped objects and is not used in everyday conversation. It’s more formal and technical; therefore, it's typically found in industrial or medical contexts.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 锭 with 丁 (dīng), which means 'nail' or 'small piece.' Remember that 锭 refers specifically to shaped masses like ingots, while 丁 is not related to materials.

Write 锭

锭

Practice writing 锭 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 锭

Words Containing This Character3
锭dìngingot錠
银锭silver ingot銀錠
纸锭paper ingots (burned as offerings to the dead)紙錠
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 锭 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 锭

锭 is not commonly used in everyday conversation; it is more relevant in specific contexts like metalworking or traditional medicine.

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Not sure what to learn after 锭?

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.