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鐵 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
鐵tiěiron; strong, solid, firmzg, 21 strokes, radical 釒, rank #38709, Very Hard
tiě(tie3) T3
  1. 1iron; strong, solid, firm
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March 24, 2026
鐵tiě(tie3)

The character 鐵 (tiě) means 'iron' and is often used to describe something that is strong, solid, or firm. It is frequently encountered in contexts related to metal, construction, and resilience, conveying a sense of durability and strength.

Strokes21Radical釒Frequency#38709DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, iron is often associated with strength and reliability, making it a common metaphor in idioms and expressions related to resilience, such as 鐵石心腸 (tiěshí xīncháng - a heart of iron).

Memory Tip

Imagine a strong iron gate (鐵) that can withstand anything. The character 鐵 has a radical that looks like a metal component (金), indicating its connection to metal. Think of 'tiě' as the 'tough' sound that resonates like the clanging of iron.

Meanings of 鐵

tiě(tie3)
1iron; strong, solid, firm
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 鐵

鐵Simplified
21Strokes
釒Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 鐵

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Podcast: 鐵

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AI Study Notes for 鐵

Quick Contrast

铝 (lǚ) vs 铜 (tóng) — choose 鐵 (tiě) when referring specifically to iron, which is distinct from aluminum and copper in terms of properties and uses.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a strong iron gate (鐵) that can withstand anything. The character 鐵 has a radical that looks like a metal component (金), indicating its connection to metal. Think of 'tiě' as the 'tough' sound that resonates like the clanging of iron.

Usage Notes

When using 鐵, be mindful of its contexts; it can describe both the material and metaphorically describe something as strong. Common collocations include 鐵路 (tiělù - railway) and 鐵拳 (tiěquán - iron fist). A common mistake is confusing the tone; remember it's pronounced with a falling tone (3rd tone) as tiě.

HSK Study Tips

While 鐵 is not on the HSK list, it is related to other metal-related words like 金 (jīn - gold) which appears in HSK 1. Students should focus on the radicals and related terms to build a vocabulary around materials and their properties.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, iron is often associated with strength and reliability, making it a common metaphor in idioms and expressions related to resilience, such as 鐵石心腸 (tiěshí xīncháng - a heart of iron).

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 鐵 with 鐘 (zhōng - bell), due to similar pronunciation. Ensure to use 鐵 for 'iron' and not mix them up in conversation.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 鐵

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Etymology of 鐵

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

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 失 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鐵.

Memory Hint

metal

Semantic (meaning)釒
+
Phonetic (sound)戜
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 鐵?

Decomposition of 鐵

IDS Structure⿰釒⿸十戜
鐵Full Character
=
釒jin1
left
十shi2
enclosing
戜die2
inner
Exercise 1 of 3

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 鐵?

Write 鐵

鐵

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

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Cultural Notes for 鐵

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, iron is often associated with strength and reliability, making it a common metaphor in idioms and expressions related to resilience, such as 鐵石心腸 (tiěshí xīncháng - a heart of iron).

Word Family of 鐵

Words Containing This Character20
铁tiěarms鐵
地铁dìtiěsubway地鐵
铁路tiělùrailroad鐵路
钢铁gāngtiěsteel鋼鐵
铁轨rail鐵軌
铁匠blacksmith鐵匠
地铁站dìtiězhànsubway station地鐵站
铁道部Ministry of Railways (MOR), disbanded in 2013 with its regulatory functions taken over by the Ministry of Transport 交通運輸部|交通运输部[Jiāo​tōng​Yùn​shū​bù]鐵道部
铁链iron chain鐵鏈
磁铁magnet磁鐵
铁丝网wire netting鐵絲網
铁木真Temujin, birth name of Genghis Khan 成吉思汗[Chéng​jí​sī​hán]鐵木真
手无寸铁lit. not an inch of steel (idiom); unarmed and defenseless手無寸鐵
铁矿石iron ore鐵礦石
铁杆iron rod鐵桿
铁塔iron tower鐵塔
铁道railway line鐵道
铁锹spade鐵鍬
铁丝iron wire鐵絲
铁石心肠hard-hearted鐵石心腸
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 铁 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 鐵

You can say '這個鐵製的桌子很堅固' (Zhège tiě zhì de zhuōzi hěn jiāngù) meaning 'This iron table is very sturdy.'