How to Write 溴 (xiù) — Meaning “bromine”

Imagine a bottle of 'stinky water' (臭 + 氵) because bromine has a harsh, irritating odor. You can also think of the right part 臭 as 'self' (自) and 'dog' (犬), picturing a dog avoiding smelly bromine. This links the character's shape to its real-life property.

Start with the three strokes of 氵 (dot, dot, lift) on the left, then write 臭 on the right. In 臭, first write 自 (six strokes) from top to bottom, then 犬 (four strokes). Keep the left narrow and the right wider, and be careful not to confuse the top of 自 with a similar radical like 白.

溴 (xiù) means 'bromine' and uses the right component 臭 (stinky). 涪 (fú) is a river name and uses 咅 (a phonetic component). 涫 (guàn) means 'to boil' and uses 官 (official). Visually, the right parts are distinct: 臭 vs. 咅 vs. 官, so compare their stroke patterns carefully.

溴 appears mainly in scientific and chemical contexts, such as 溴化物 (bromide) in medicine or photography, and 溴水 (bromine water) in laboratory experiments. It is not used in everyday conversation, but learners may encounter it in chemistry textbooks or industrial terms.

Common words containing 溴 include: 溴化物 (xiù huà wù) — bromide; 溴素 (xiù sù) — bromine (elemental); 溴水 (xiù shuǐ) — bromine water.