鋼盔 / 钢盔
gāngkuī
The English word "helmet" is translated into Chinese as 鋼盔 / 钢盔 (gāngkuī). Wiktionary also lists 頭盔 / 头盔 (tóukuī).
Meaning: protective head covering (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 鋼盔 / 钢盔 | gāngkuī |
| 頭盔 / 头盔 | tóukuī |
You might use terms specifically referring to metal headgear, general protective headgear or industrial safety gear.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 鋼盔 / 钢盔 is composed of 鋼 (gāng), meaning steel and 盔 (kuī), meaning helmet or armor. The term 頭盔 / 头盔 is composed of 頭 (tóu), meaning head and 盔 (kuī), meaning helmet.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on the specific type of helmet described. 鋼盔 / 钢盔 specifically refers to a metal or steel helmet, often used in a military or historical context. In contrast, 頭盔 / 头盔 is a more general term for any head helmet, such as those used for cycling, construction or sports.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese (Hong Kong, Guangdong), the word for helmet is 頭盔. In Taiwanese Mandarin, the term for helmet is 安全帽.
How do you pronounce it?
gāngkuī
Did you know?
- In Taiwan, the word for helmet 安全帽 literally translates to 'safety hat'. This reflects the island's ubiquitous scooter culture, where the helmet is viewed as a standard piece of daily safety equipment rather than specialized gear.
- The word 盔甲 (kuíjiǎ), meaning 'armor', treats the helmet 盔 as the primary piece, placing it before the body armor 甲 in the compound.
- While 頭盔 (tóukuī) is common in mainland China, a person in Taiwan might find the term too 'military' for a simple bicycle helmet and prefer 安全帽 (ānquánmào).
Examples in context
- 这是我的头盔。This is my helmet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “helmet” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
