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钢铁 (gāng tiě) — (noun) steel; (adjective) steel; (figurative) strong, firm, unyielding

Definition

钢铁 specifically means 'steel' (the alloy), narrower than the general term 金属 ('metal'). As an adjective ('iron-willed, unyielding'), it implies a harder, more rigid strength than 强硬 ('tough, hard-line').

noun
steel
adjective
steel(figurative) strongfirmunyielding

Examples

  • 钢铁。
    Zhè zuò dà qiáo shì yòng gāng tiě jiàn zào de.
    This big bridge is built of steel.
  • 钢铁，。
    Tā yǒu zhe gāng tiě bān de yì zhì, cóng bú fàng qì.
    He has a will of steel and never gives up.
  • 钢铁。
    gāng tiě Gōng yè shì yí gè guó jiā de zhòng yào zhī zhù.
    The steel industry is an important pillar of a country.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

钢gāngsteel
铁tiěiron

钢 and 铁 name metals, together referring to steel or figurative firmness.

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.

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.

Open 钢 →

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 鐵; 铁 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢧤
𢧤𢧤鐵tiě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 鐵 pairs 金 (metal) with 𢧤 as a sound part; the simplified 铁 is a later shorthand.

Open 铁 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 5Materials & Substances

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