How to Write 硫 (liú) — Meaning “sulfur”

Imagine a stone (石) that smells like rotten eggs — sulfur's classic odor. The right part 㐬 looks like a winding path (like a curl of sulfur vapor), and you can think "liú" sounds like "loo" (toilet smell) to connect the smell to the mineral.

注意 (Note) that the left radical 石 must be narrow, with the bottom horizontal stroke tilting slightly up. The right part 㐬 starts with a short horizontal stroke, then a vertical hook; keep the overall shape balanced and the strokes compact, as it is a 12-stroke character.

砝 (fǎ) means "gram weight" or "weight used on a scale" and has the component 去 (qù); it is never used for sulfur. 砟 (zhǎ) means "small pieces of coal or stone"; visually, its right side is 乍 (zhà). Remember: only 硫 has the sound component 㐬 and relates to the chemical element sulfur.

硫 appears in scientific and industrial contexts, such as 硫酸 (sulfuric acid) and 硫磺 (sulfur as a substance). It is a core character in chemistry and geology, but not common in everyday conversation unless discussing cleaning agents or laboratory supplies.

Common words containing 硫 include: 硫磺 (liú huáng) — sulfur; 硫酸 (liú suān) — sulfuric acid; 硫化物 (liú huà wù) — sulfide.