钢材 (gāng cái) — steel products; rolled steel

Definition

noun

steel productsrolled steel

Measure word · 吨

Easily confused

钢材。
Zhè jiā gōng chǎng zhǔ yào shēng chǎn jiàn zhù yòng gāng cái.
This factory mainly produces steel products for construction.
钢材。
Jīn nián gāng cái de jià gé bǐ qù nián shàng zhǎng le bǎi fēn zhī shí.
The price of rolled steel this year has risen by ten percent compared to last year.
钢材。
Zhè pī gāng cái de zhì liàng fú hé guó jì biāo zhǔn.
This batch of steel products meets international standards.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

材cáimaterial

钢 means steel and 材 means material, giving steel material or products.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鋼; 钢 is its simplified writing.

金岡鋼

Meaning part形符xíngfú

金金jīnmetal

Sound part声符shēngfú

岡

岡gāng鋼gàng

Same sound today

The traditional form 鋼 shows 金, meaning metal, next to 岡, which carries the sound gāng; the simplified 钢 is a later shorthand.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木才材

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

才

Same sound today

材 combines 木, wood, with 才, cái, as its sound part.