汞
gǒng
In Chinese, the word for the chemical element mercury is 汞 (gǒng). Wiktionary also lists 水銀 / 水银 (shuǐyín).
Meaning: silvery-coloured, metallic chemical element with the atomic number 80 (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 汞 | gǒng |
| 水銀 / 水银 | shuǐyín |
The terms refer to the silvery-colored, metallic chemical element with the atomic number 80.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 水銀 literally means 'water silver', a name derived from the element's liquid, silvery appearance.
Which one should you use?
To refer to the planet Mercury, you must use 水星 or 辰星 instead of the chemical terms 汞 or 水銀. Additionally, the name for the Roman god is 墨丘利.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
gǒng
Did you know?
- In ancient Chinese alchemy, 水銀 was often linked to the pursuit of immortality, as it was believed to be a 'liquid metal' that could defy natural decay.
- Chinese culture shares the same descriptive logic as English for 'quicksilver' and Latin for 'hydrargyrum', all referring to the element as 'water silver'.
- In some historical texts, the word 汞 is used metaphorically to describe something that is unstable or impossible to grasp, mirroring the element's physical behavior.
Examples in context
- Tom汞中毒，因為他每天吃罐裝鮪魚。Tom got mercury poisoning because he ate canned tuna every day.This sentence is useful for illustrating the concept of mercury poisoning with 汞.Tatoeba #4261742 by egg0073, translation #2793981 by Hybrid
- 水银温度计含有水银。Water thermometers contain mercury.
- 别碰汞！Don't touch the mercury!
- 這支舊溫度計裡含有汞。Zhè zhī jiù wēndùjì lǐ hányǒu gǒng.This old thermometer contains mercury.
- 科學家正在研究汞的性質。Kēxuéjiā zhèngzài yánjiū gǒng de xìngzhì.Scientists are studying the properties of mercury.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Xiaowen are studying chemistry in a classroom.
- 伟 Wei晓雯，你知道汞的化學符號嗎？Xiǎowén, nǐ zhīdào gǒng de huàxué fúhào ma?Xiaowen, do you know the chemical symbol for mercury?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我知道，它是 Hg。Wǒ zhīdào, tā shì Hg.I know, it is Hg.
- 伟 Wei對，沒錯。Duì, méi cuò.Yes, that's right.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen汞在室溫下是液體。Gǒng zài shìwēn xià shì yètǐ.Mercury is a liquid at room temperature.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mercury” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 水銀, 汞, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
