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氘 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
氘dāodeuteriumg, 6 strokes, radical 气
氘dāodeuterium 2Hunknown, 6 strokes, radical 气
氘dāoheavy hydrogen, isotope of hydrogen having 1 neutron in its nucleus, so atomic weight 2unknown, 6 strokes, radical 气
dāo(dao1) T1
  1. 1deuterium
  2. 2deuterium 2H
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

氘dāo(dao1)

氘 (dāo) refers to deuterium, a stable isotope of hydrogen that contains one neutron in addition to the usual single proton. It is often used in nuclear fusion research and has applications in various scientific fields, including chemistry and physics. This term is primarily used in technical and academic contexts.

Strokes6Radical气
Cultural Note

In China, research on nuclear technology and isotopes like deuterium is significant due to the country's advancements in energy production and scientific research. Deuterium plays a role in discussions about energy sources and environmental sustainability.

Memory Tip

Think of 氘 as a 'heavy' version of hydrogen. The character has氵 (water radical) suggesting it can be found in water, and the second part (刀, dāo) sounds like 'dao' which could remind you of 'dough' that is heavier than regular flour, just like deuterium is heavier than regular hydrogen.

Meanings of 氘

dāo(dao1)
1deuterium
2deuterium 2H
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 氘

氘Simplified
6Strokes
气Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 氘

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Podcast: 氘

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 氘

Usage Notes

氘 is a scientific term, so it is generally used in formal contexts like research papers or lectures. Learners should remember that it is not commonly used in everyday conversation. A common mistake is confusing it with other isotopes of hydrogen, like氚 (chūn, tritium).

HSK Study Tips

氘 is not included in the HSK vocabulary list, but it connects to scientific terms at higher levels. Students should focus on understanding the concept of isotopes and how they relate to hydrogen and other elements, as well as the context in which these terms are used.

Common Mistakes

Learners might confuse 氘 with氚 (chūn, tritium), which is another isotope of hydrogen but has two neutrons. Remember that氘 has one neutron and is heavier than regular hydrogen but lighter than tritium.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 氘

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Etymology of 氘

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

gas

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 氘

  1. 1The meaning half气 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half刂 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaygas
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 氘? 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 氘?

Decomposition of 氘

IDS Structure⿹气刂
氘Full Character
=
气qi4
enclosing
刂dao1
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 氘?

How to say deuterium in Chinese

“deuterium” in Chinese is氘dāo

氘 (dāo) refers to deuterium, a stable isotope of hydrogen that contains one neutron in addition to the usual single proton. It is often used in nuclear fusion research and has applications in various scientific fields, including chemistry and physics. This term is primarily used in technical and academic contexts.

When to use 氘

氘 is a scientific term, so it is generally used in formal contexts like research papers or lectures. Learners should remember that it is not commonly used in everyday conversation. A common mistake is confusing it with other isotopes of hydrogen, like氚 (chūn, tritium).

What learners get wrong

Learners might confuse 氘 with氚 (chūn, tritium), which is another isotope of hydrogen but has two neutrons. Remember that氘 has one neutron and is heavier than regular hydrogen but lighter than tritium.

Write 氘

氘

Practice writing 氘 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 氘

Words Containing This Character2
氘dāodeuterium 2H
氘核deuteron
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 氘 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 氘

Deuterium is important for nuclear fusion and is used in various scientific applications, including tracing studies in chemistry.

Jason Recommends

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