How to Write 硭 (máng) — Meaning “mirabilite (mineral)”

Imagine a stone (石) with a grassy top (芒) growing on it, like a rough mirabilite crystal emerging from the ground. The grass helps you recall the sound máng from 芒. This visual link between stone and grass makes the character easier to remember.

First write the left radical 石 (5 strokes: horizontal, left-falling, horizontal, vertical, horizontal), then the right part 芒 (6 strokes: horizontal, vertical, vertical for the top grass, then dot, horizontal, vertical hook for 亡). Keep the left side slightly smaller and the right side balanced; a common mistake is making the 芒 part too narrow.

硭 has 芒 (grass and 亡) on the right, while 砂 has 少 (few, small) on the right, meaning sand. 砉 has a different right component (often 禾 with a hook) and is a rare character for a cutting sound. Visually, 硭’s grass top distinguishes it from 砂’s small strokes.

硭 appears mainly in scientific or technical terms like 硭硝 (Glauber's salt) and is not common in daily speech. It is used in geology, chemistry, and traditional Chinese medicine to refer to the mineral mirabilite. You might encounter it in textbooks or mineral descriptions rather than conversation.

Common words containing 硭 include: 硭硝 (máng xiāo) — Glauber's salt; 硭硝矿 (máng xiāo kuàng) — mirabilite mine; 硭硝粉 (máng xiāo fěn) — mirabilite powder.