How to Write 羟 (qiǎng) — Meaning “hydroxyl (chemical radical)”

Imagine a sheep (羊) standing next to a chemical flask, and the flask contains a 'hydroxyl' group written with the letters OH. The shape of 巠 on the right looks a bit like a flask with a tube, helping you recall it's a chemical term. This visual link between the sheep and the flask can help you remember that 羟 means hydroxyl.

The left component 羊 has three horizontal strokes, and the last stroke becomes a vertical upward stroke (like a hook) before the right part begins. The right part 巠 has a top horizontal line, then a curved stroke like an 'S' shape, and ends with a middle horizontal line; be careful not to confuse it with 经 (jīng) which has a different right side. The overall shape is balanced, with the left side slightly narrower than the right.

羍 (dá) is a rare character meaning 'fawn' or 'young deer', and 美 (měi) means 'beautiful' — both share the 羊 component on top but have completely different meanings and pronunciations. 羟 is unique in that it combines 羊 with 巠 and is only used in chemistry contexts, while 羍 and 美 are unrelated in usage. Visually, 羟 has the 巠 component on the right, whereas 羍 has 大 below and 美 has 大 on top.

羟 is almost exclusively used in scientific and chemical contexts, especially in words like 羟基 (hydroxyl group), 羟化 (hydroxylation), and 羟基酸 (hydroxy acid). It appears in textbooks, research papers, and product names for chemical substances. There is no cultural or everyday usage, so you will only encounter it when studying or working in chemistry.

Common words containing 羟 include: 羟基 (qiǎng jī) — hydroxyl group; 羟化 (qiǎng huà) — hydroxylation; 羟基酸 (qiǎng jī suān) — hydroxy acid.