How to Write 铓 (máng) — Meaning “Point of a blade / Sharp edge”

Imagine a metal (钅) blade with a blade of grass (芒) growing on its tip — the grass is so sharp it can cut. This links the metal radical to the grass-like sharpness, helping you recall both the sound máng and the meaning.

The left side 钅 is narrow and ends with a vertical lift (竖提), not a hook. The right side 芒 has a wide 艹 (grass) on top covering the 亡 below; a common mistake is making the 艹 too small or uneven.

The key is the right side: 铓 has 芒 (grass + death), 钰 has 玉 (jade), and 钱 has 戋 (small). In meaning, 铓 is a sharp edge (metal), 钰 is treasure (jade), and 钱 is money (metal coins).

铓 is not common in daily speech but appears in formal or literary descriptions of sharpness, like 锋铓 (sharp edge). It is also used in the name of a traditional gong, 铓锣 (Mangluo), found in ethnic minority music of Yunnan.

Common words containing 铓 include: 铓锣 (máng luó) — Mangluo (a type of gong); 锋铓 (fēng máng) — Sharp edge; cutting edge; 铓角 (máng jiǎo) — Sharp corner / Edge.