How to Write 铝 (lǚ) — Meaning “Aluminum”

Imagine two metal cans (aluminum cans) stacked on top of each other like a tall "吕" shape. The left radical 钅 reminds you it is a metal, and the two mouths in 吕 look like two cans. So 铝 = metal + double cans.

The left radical 钅 is written with five strokes: first a short left-falling stroke, then two horizontal strokes, a vertical stroke, and finally a short horizontal stroke at the bottom. The right part 吕 has two "mouth" components; be careful not to make the top mouth too wide or the bottom stroke of the first mouth touch the second. The overall character should be balanced, with the left side narrower and the right side slightly taller.

All three share the metal radical 钅, so they differ in the right part. 铝 has 吕 (two mouths) on the right, 钙 has 丐 (a hook-like shape), and 钚 has 不 (meaning "not"). Visually, 铝 looks like two stacked boxes, while 钙 has a bend at the top and 钚 has a diagonal stroke and a dot.

铝 is used in everyday words like 铝罐 (aluminum can), 铝箔 (aluminum foil), and 铝合金 (aluminum alloy). It appears in industry, packaging, and cooking contexts. Chinese people might associate 铝 with lightweight and recyclable products, and there is a common awareness about avoiding too much aluminum in cookware due to health concerns.

Common words containing 铝 include: 铝罐 (lǚ guàn) — Aluminum can; 铝箔 (lǚ bó) — Aluminum foil; 铝合金 (lǚ hé jīn) — Aluminum alloy.