How to Write 锌 (xīn) — Meaning “Zinc”

Think of a shiny metal (钅) that sounds like 'sin' — but instead of a sin, it's a healthy zinc supplement. Or imagine a 'zinc sheet' being hammered with a 'ting' sound (like 辛 sounding close).

The left radical 钅 is written first, with the horizontal stroke at the top slightly shorter. The right side 辛 has a vertical stroke through the center; be careful to align the top and bottom strokes evenly.

锌 specifically means zinc, a metal element, while 钰 (yù) often means fine jade or precious metal, and 钱 (qián) means money or coin. Visually, 锌 has the right component 辛, whereas 钰 has 玉 (jade) and 钱 has 戋 (small).

锌 appears in chemistry and health contexts, such as 补锌 (zinc supplement) for nutrition or 锌片 (zinc sheet) for industrial materials. It is not a common daily character but is important in scientific and dietary discussions.

Common words containing 锌 include: 补锌 (bǔ xīn) — Zinc supplement; 锌片 (xīn piàn) — Zinc plate; zinc sheet; 含锌 (hán xīn) — contains zinc.