How to Write 铈 (shì) — Meaning “cerium”

Think of the metal radical 钅 combined with 市, which sounds like "she." Imagine a female metal called "She-rium" (cerium) to link the sound and meaning.

The left radical 钅 has five strokes: 撇, 横, 横, 横, 竖提. The right part 市 has five strokes: 点, 横, 竖, 横折钩, 竖. A common mistake is forgetting the dot on top of 市, so always start with that dot.

The right part is different: 铈 has 市 (market) with a dot on top, 钍 has 土 (earth) without a dot, and 钎 has 千 (thousand) with a slanting line. Their meanings also differ: 铈 is cerium, 钍 is thorium, and 钎 means a drill or brazing rod.

铈 is a technical term for the element cerium, used mainly in chemistry, materials science, and industry. You will find it in phrases like 氧化铈 (cerium oxide) for catalysts or glass polishing. It is not used in everyday speech.

Common words containing 铈 include: 铈元素 (shì yuán sù) — the element cerium; 氧化铈 (yǎng huà shì) — Cerium oxide; 金属铈 (jīn shǔ shì) — Cerium metal.