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鈣 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
鈣gàicalciumx, 12 strokes, radical 釒
gài(gai4) T4
  1. 1calcium
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

鈣gài(gai4)

鈣 (gài) refers to calcium, a chemical element essential for biological functions such as bone formation and muscle contraction. It is commonly discussed in contexts related to health, nutrition, and chemistry, particularly in relation to dairy products and dietary supplements.

Strokes12Radical釒
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, calcium-rich foods like tofu and dairy are often emphasized in traditional diets for their health benefits, particularly for children and the elderly, reflecting the importance of strong bones throughout life stages.

Memory Tip

Imagine a giant 'Giant Calcium' (gài) statue made of shimmering metal, representing the strength of bones. The character 鈣 consists of the metal radical 鉄 (which suggests it is a metal), combined with the sound component 'gài,' helping you remember both meaning and pronunciation.

Meanings of 鈣

gài(gai4)
1calcium
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 鈣

鈣Simplified
12Strokes
釒Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 鈣

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Podcast: 鈣

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AI Study Notes for 鈣

Usage Notes

When discussing dietary calcium, it's important to use 鈣 in the context of health and nutrition. A common mistake is to confuse it with other minerals like '镁' (magnesium), which sounds somewhat similar. Be mindful of using 鈣 in both formal health discussions and informal conversations about food.

HSK Study Tips

Though 鈣 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it is closely related to other health terms. Focus on learning related vocabulary like '营养' (nutrition) and '矿物质' (mineral), as these can help contextualize your understanding of 鈣 in everyday conversations.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 鈣 (calcium) with 磷 (phosphorus), as both are minerals important for bone health. Remember that 鈣 starts with 'gài,' while 磷 is pronounced 'lín' and has a different character structure.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 鈣

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Etymology of 鈣

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

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 丐 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鈣.

Memory Hint

metal

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 鈣

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 丐 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鈣.

  1. 1The meaning half釒 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half丐 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 鈣? 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 鈣?

Decomposition of 鈣

IDS Structure⿰釒丐
鈣Full Character
=
釒jin1
left
丐gai4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 鈣?

How to say calcium in Chinese

“calcium” in Chinese is鈣gài

鈣 (gài) refers to calcium, a chemical element essential for biological functions such as bone formation and muscle contraction. It is commonly discussed in contexts related to health, nutrition, and chemistry, particularly in relation to dairy products and dietary supplements.

When to use 鈣

When discussing dietary calcium, it's important to use 鈣 in the context of health and nutrition. A common mistake is to confuse it with other minerals like '镁' (magnesium), which sounds somewhat similar. Be mindful of using 鈣 in both formal health discussions and informal conversations about food.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 鈣 (calcium) with 磷 (phosphorus), as both are minerals important for bone health. Remember that 鈣 starts with 'gài,' while 磷 is pronounced 'lín' and has a different character structure.

Write 鈣

鈣

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Cultural Notes for 鈣

🌏Cross-cultural Insight

While both Western and Chinese cultures recognize the importance of calcium for health, Chinese dietary practices may incorporate more plant-based sources of calcium, such as leafy greens and nuts, compared to the Western emphasis on dairy products.

Word Family of 鈣

Words Containing This Character8
钙gàicalcium (chemistry)鈣
钙化to calcify鈣化
碳酸钙calcium carbonate碳酸鈣
磷酸钙calcium phosphate (chemistry)磷酸鈣
氧化钙calcium oxide氧化鈣
氢氧化钙slaked lime氫氧化鈣
硝酸钙calcium nitrate硝酸鈣
碳化钙calcium carbide CaC2碳化鈣
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 钙 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 鈣

You can say '这个牛奶含有很多鈣' (This milk contains a lot of calcium).

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