How to Write 钙 (gài) — Meaning “Calcium”

Picture a metal hook (钅 like a metal piece, 丐 looks like a bent hook) used to scoop up white calcium tablets. Or remember that "gài" sounds like "guy" — a strong guy needs calcium for his bones.

Write the left radical 钅 first with three strokes: left-falling, horizontal, then vertical-falling hook. The right part 丐 starts with a short horizontal, then a vertical hook with a left-falling inside, and ends with a bottom horizontal. Avoid making the right side look like a simple "seven" — the hook stroke is key.

All three share the metal radical 钅, but the right side differs. 钙 has 丐 (gài) and means the element calcium. 针 has 十 (shí) and means needle. 钉 has 丁 (dīng) and means nail. The right components change both pronunciation and meaning.

You see 钙 mainly in health and nutrition contexts: on bottles of 钙片 (calcium tablets) or ads for 补钙 (calcium supplements). It is also used in food packaging to indicate "high calcium" (高钙). There is a cultural emphasis on bone health, especially for children and elderly.

Common words containing 钙 include: 补钙 (bǔ gài) — Calcium supplement; 钙片 (gài piàn) — Calcium tablet; 高钙 (gāo gài) — high calcium.