How to Write 硼 (péng) — Meaning “Boron”

Picture a friendly rock (石) named 'Peng' (朋) who loves chemistry. Every time you see 硼, think of a rock friend who introduces you to the element boron. This visual links the stone radical with the sound 朋.

Write the left radical 石 first, keeping it narrow and compact; its bottom horizontal line should align roughly with the middle of the right part. The right side 朋 consists of two 月 (moon) components side by side — make them almost equal in width and height, and avoid making the left 月 too small. A common mistake is to make the right side too wide, so keep the two 月 balanced.

硼 (péng, boron) is left-right with 石 and 朋, while 砦 (zhài, stockade) is top-bottom with 此 (this) above 石. 硅 (guī, silicon) is also left-right with 石 and 圭 (a jade artifact), but 圭 has two 土 (earth) stacked, whereas 硼 has two 月 (moon) side by side. Visually, 硼 looks rounder and symmetrical, while 硅 has more horizontal lines.

硼 is used mainly in chemistry and science contexts, such as in the words 硼砂 (borax, a cleaning agent) and 硼酸 (boric acid, a mild antiseptic). It is not a common daily character for most people, but it appears in textbooks, industrial materials, and product labels. Culturally, boron is a modern addition to Chinese character vocabulary, reflecting the import of Western chemistry.

Common words containing 硼 include: 硼砂 (péng shā) — Borax; 硼酸 (péng suān) — Boric acid; 硼元素 (péng yuán sù) — The element boron.