How to Write 氧 (yǎng) — Meaning “Oxygen”

Imagine a goat (羊) breathing in air (气) — that goat needs oxygen to live. The pronunciation yǎng sounds like "yang," which can remind you of "yang" energy in nature, and oxygen is essential for life. This mental image links the parts to the meaning.

When writing 氧, pay attention to the stroke order of the left radical 气: first a left-falling stroke, then two horizontal strokes, and finally a hook. The right part 羊 has 6 strokes, and its horizontal line should align with the middle of 气 to keep the character balanced. A common mistake is making the hook of 气 too small or the right side too wide.

氧 (oxygen) uses 羊 (goat), while 氛 (fēn, atmosphere) uses 分 (divide) and 氜 (rì, an obsolete character) uses 日 (sun). Visually, 氧 has more strokes on the right, and its meaning is specific to oxygen gas. 氛 is more common in words like 气氛 (atmosphere, mood), while 氜 is rarely used today.

氧 appears in scientific terms like 氧气 (oxygen gas), 氧化 (oxidation), and 缺氧 (lack of oxygen). It is also used in daily life when talking about air quality, oxygen bars, or high-altitude sickness in places like Tibet. Understanding 氧 is useful for HSK 6 learners interested in science or health topics.

Common words containing 氧 include: 氧气 (yǎng qì) — Oxygen gas; 缺氧 (quē yǎng) — hypoxia / lack of oxygen; 氧化 (yǎng huà) — Oxidation.