How to Write 碲 (dì) — Meaning “Tellurium (chemical element)”

Imagine the right part 帝 as an "emperor" — tellurium is a rare element that behaves like a "king among stones." Alternatively, think of the pinyin "dì" as sounding like "dee" in "deep," since tellurium is often found deep underground in ore deposits.

Pay attention to the right side 帝: it has a dot on top, then a horizontal line, followed by a component that ends with a vertical hook at the bottom. A common mistake is to make the right side too wide or to write a simple vertical line instead of the hook. The left radical 石 should be narrow so the overall character stays balanced.

The right side of 碲 is 帝, while 硝 has 肖 (xiāo) and 硪 has 我 (wǒ). Visually, 碲's right part has a dot and a vertical hook, whereas 硝 has a small crescent shape and 硪 has more strokes. In meaning, 硝 refers to saltpeter used in gunpowder, and 硪 is a tool for pounding earth — both are unrelated to the element tellurium.

碲 appears almost exclusively in scientific and industrial contexts to refer to the chemical element tellurium, such as in the compound words 碲化物 (telluride) and 碲矿 (tellurium ore). It is not part of daily conversation or HSK vocabulary. Culturally, tellurium was historically discovered in gold ores, so 碲 sometimes appears in mining or semiconductor discussions.

Common words containing 碲 include: 碲化物 (dì huà wù) — Telluride; 碲元素 (dì yuán sù) — The element tellurium; 碲矿 (dì kuàng) — Tellurium ore.