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鎳 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
鎳niènickelzg, 18 strokes, radical 釒, rank #50598, Very Hard
niè(nie4) T4
  1. 1nickel
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

鎳niè(nie4)

鎳 (niè) refers to the chemical element nickel, which is a transition metal commonly used in alloys and batteries. In industrial contexts, it is often associated with stainless steel production and corrosion-resistant materials. The character is less frequently used in everyday conversation, primarily appearing in scientific and technical discussions.

Strokes18Radical釒Frequency#50598DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

Nickel has a significant role in modern Chinese industry, especially in the manufacturing of stainless steel, which is integral to China's rapid industrial development. The use of nickel in everyday items reflects the country's focus on technology and innovation.

Memory Tip

Imagine a shiny nickel coin (鎳) within a treasure chest, gleaming like a knight's armor. The character 鎳 has a metal radical (金) on the left, representing metal, while the right side (聶) sounds like 'niè', helping you remember that this metal is nickel.

Meanings of 鎳

niè(nie4)
1nickel
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 鎳

鎳Simplified
18Strokes
釒Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 鎳

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Podcast: 鎳

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AI Study Notes for 鎳

Usage Notes

When discussing nickel, it is important to use the correct context, especially in scientific or industrial settings. Common collocations include 鎳合金 (niè héjīn - nickel alloy) and 鎳電池 (niè diànchí - nickel battery). Be cautious of the tones; 'niè' has a falling tone, which can be confused with other words.

HSK Study Tips

Although 鎳 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it is beneficial for learners at higher levels, especially those interested in chemistry or materials science. Connecting it to other metal-related vocabulary can enhance understanding of technical discussions.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 鎳 (niè) with other metal-related characters like 銅 (tóng - copper) due to similar contexts. It’s important to remember that 鎳 specifically refers to nickel, not copper.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 鎳

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Etymology of 鎳

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

metal

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 鎳

  1. 1The meaning half釒 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half臬 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 鎳? 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 鎳?

Decomposition of 鎳

IDS Structure⿰釒臬
鎳Full Character
=
釒jin1
left
臬nie4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 鎳?

How to say nickel in Chinese

“nickel” in Chinese is鎳niè

鎳 (niè) refers to the chemical element nickel, which is a transition metal commonly used in alloys and batteries. In industrial contexts, it is often associated with stainless steel production and corrosion-resistant materials. The character is less frequently used in everyday conversation, primarily appearing in scientific and technical discussions.

When to use 鎳

When discussing nickel, it is important to use the correct context, especially in scientific or industrial settings. Common collocations include 鎳合金 (niè héjīn - nickel alloy) and 鎳電池 (niè diànchí - nickel battery). Be cautious of the tones; 'niè' has a falling tone, which can be confused with other words.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 鎳 (niè) with other metal-related characters like 銅 (tóng - copper) due to similar contexts. It’s important to remember that 鎳 specifically refers to nickel, not copper.

Write 鎳

鎳

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

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Word Family of 鎳

Words Containing This Character1
镍niènickel (chemistry)鎳
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 镍 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 鎳

鎳 is crucial in creating alloys and batteries, making it important for various industrial applications.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 鎳?

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