How to Write 硐 (dòng) — Meaning “Mine shaft”

Imagine a stone (石) with a tunnel through it, and the tunnel looks like a big round hole. The sound dòng can remind you of the word "dong" as in the echo in a deep mine shaft. Picture a miner shouting "dong!" into the shaft.

Write the left radical 石 first, then the right component 同. Pay attention to the vertical stroke on the left side of 同—it should be straight and align roughly with the middle of the stone radical. A common mistake is making the 同 part too wide or leaving too much space between the two halves.

硐 (dòng) means mine shaft or cave, 砂 (shā) means sand or grit, and 砉 (huā or xū) is a rare character describing a tearing or breaking sound. Visually, 硐 contains 同 inside, 砂 contains 少 (few), and 砉 has a right side that looks like 丰 (abundant). Their meanings are completely different, so context helps distinguish them.

硐 is used mainly in mining and geology, for example in words like 矿硐 (mine shaft) and 山硐 (mountain cavern). It is not part of the HSK vocabulary, so learners encounter it mostly in technical or regional texts. In some rural areas, 硐 can also refer to natural caves used as shelters or storage.

Common words containing 硐 include: 山硐 (shān dòng) — Mountain cavern; 硐口 (dòng kǒu) — Mine entrance; 矿硐 (kuàng dòng) — mine shaft; gallery.