How to Write 铍 (pī) — Meaning “beryllium”

Imagine you are eating a "pie" (sounds like pī) made of metal, which is beryllium. The left side 钅 reminds you it is a metal, and the right side 皮 looks like a "pie" or a skin. This visual of a metal pie can help link the sound and meaning together.

Write the left radical 钅 first with three horizontal strokes and a vertical hook, then write the right side 皮 starting with the horizontal hook and continuing downwards. A common mistake is to forget the small hook at the end of 钅 or to write the right side 皮 with too many strokes (皮 has 5 strokes). Keep the left side narrow and the right side wider.

All three characters share the metal radical 钅, but they have different right parts and meanings. 铍 (pī) means beryllium, 钍 (tǔ) means thorium, and 钎 (qiān) means a drill rod or brazing rod. Visually, 铍 has 皮 on the right, 钍 has 土 (earth), and 钎 has 千 (thousand) – so you can tell them apart by the right-side component.

铍 is mainly used in scientific and industrial contexts, such as in the common word 铍铜 (pī tóng, beryllium copper), a strong alloy used in tools and electronics. It is not a daily word for most Chinese learners. Beryllium metal is toxic, so safety is important when handling it, but this is more a technical note than a cultural one.

Common words containing 铍 include: 铍铜 (pī tóng) — Beryllium copper; 铍合金 (pī hé jīn) — beryllium alloy; 金属铍 (jīn shǔ pī) — Beryllium metal.