How to Write 铁 (tiě) — Meaning “iron”

Imagine a heavy piece of iron shaped like a metal bar (钅) that you accidentally "lose" (失) because it's so heavy you drop it. Or think: "Metal that can make you lose your strength if you carry it."

The left radical 钅 is written with 5 strokes: left-falling, two horizontals, vertical, then a vertical lift. The right side 失 must end with a left-falling stroke and a right-falling stroke (not a hook). A common mistake is making the left radical too wide or forgetting the lift.

铁 (tiě) means "iron" and is very common. 钍 (tǔ) means "thorium," a radioactive element, and its right part is 土 (earth). 钎 (qiān) means "drill rod" or "drill bit," with the right part 千 (thousand). Visually, look at the right side: 失 vs 土 vs 千.

铁 appears in everyday words like 地铁 (subway), 铁路 (railway), and 铁锅 (iron pot). Culturally, 铁 can also mean "strong" or "tough" – for example, 铁人 (tiě rén) means "iron man" and describes someone very resilient.

Common words containing 铁 include: 地铁 (dì tiě) — Subway / Metro; 铁路 (tiě lù) — railway / railroad; 铁锅 (tiě guō) — iron pot / wok.