How to Write 膦 (lìn) — Meaning “phosphine”

Think of the left side 月 as ‘moon’ and the right side 粦 as ‘phosphorus’ – imagine a glowing moon made of phosphorus gas. You can also remember its pinyin lìn by linking it to ‘lean’ gas that smells bad, like phosphine.

The left radical 月 should be narrow and tall, with the first stroke a vertical left-slanting line. The right part 粦 has 12 strokes and starts with a horizontal stroke under a pair of dots – be careful not to confuse its middle section with 米 (rice). Overall, keep the right side slightly wider than the left.

膦 (lìn) is a chemical term for phosphine, used only in scientific contexts. 朦 (méng) means hazy or dim, and 膀 (bǎng) means shoulder or upper arm. Visually, the right parts differ: 膦 uses 粦, 朦 uses 蒙, and 膀 uses 旁, so focus on those distinct components.

膦 appears almost exclusively in chemistry to describe phosphorus-based compounds, like 膦酸 (phosphonic acid) or 有机膦 (organophosphorus). You will not find it in daily conversation or literature, only in technical textbooks, safety labels, or research papers about pesticides and industrial chemicals.

Common words containing 膦 include: 膦酸 (lìn suān) — phosphonic acid; 有机膦 (yǒu jī lìn) — organophosphorus; 膦化氢 (lìn huà qīng) — phosphine gas (PH3).