How to Write 钋 (pō) — Meaning “Polonium”

Imagine a metal (钅) fortune teller using a divination stick (卜) to discover the new element polonium. The sound 'pō' matches the first syllable of 'polonium' (po-lo-ni-um). Visualize the fortune teller holding a shiny metal stick to help you remember both the meaning and pronunciation.

Write the radical 钅 first with three strokes: a short left-falling stroke, then a horizontal stroke, and finally a vertical hook. Then add 卜 on the right as two strokes: a vertical line and a dot, making sure the vertical line is straight and the dot is placed at the lower right. Common mistakes include writing the 卜 too wide or forgetting the dot.

钋 (pō) is a complete character meaning polonium, while 钅 is only the radical component and never used alone as a word. 钆 (gá) is a different chemical element (gadolinium) and has an extra stroke inside the right part (a vertical with a short horizontal). Visually, 钋 has 卜 on the right, whereas 钆 has 乚 (a hooked stroke) inside the right side.

钋 is used almost exclusively in scientific contexts to refer to the radioactive element polonium, such as in 钋元素 (pō yuán sù, polonium element) or 金属钋 (jīn shǔ pō, polonium metal). It is not part of common vocabulary or HSK lists, but it appears in chemistry textbooks and articles about Marie Curie, who discovered polonium and named it after her home country Poland.

Common words containing 钋 include: 钋元素 (pō yuán sù) — Polonium element; 发现钋 (fā xiàn pō) — to discover polonium; 金属钋 (jīn shǔ pō) — Polonium metal.