How to Write 矽 (xì) — Meaning “silicon”

Imagine a "stone" (石) glowing under the "evening" (夕) sunlight — that glow represents silicon, which is used in solar panels. Or think: "In the evening, silicon helps light up devices." This pairing of stone and evening can help recall the character.

Write the left radical 石 first with 5 strokes: horizontal, left-falling, horizontal, vertical, horizontal. Then add the right part 夕 with 3 strokes: left-falling, horizontal hook, and a dot inside. A common mistake is making the 夕 too wide or forgetting the final dot, so keep the right side compact and balanced.

All three share the 石 radical, but 矽 has 夕 (evening) and means silicon, a chemical element. 矶 (jī) has 几 (table) and means a jetty or rock in water. 矸 (gān) has 干 (dry) and refers to waste rock or gangue. Their meanings are unrelated, and only 矽 is used in modern tech terms.

矽 appears in technical words like 矽谷 (xì gǔ, Silicon Valley), 矽胶 (xì jiāo, silica gel or silicone), and 矽肺 (xì fèi, silicosis). Note that in mainland China 硅 (guī) is more common for silicon, but 矽 is still widely used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, especially in 矽谷.

Common words containing 矽 include: 矽谷 (xì gǔ) — Silicon Valley; 矽胶 (xì jiāo) — silica gel; silicone; 矽肺 (xì fèi) — silicosis.