金屬 / 金属
jīnshǔ
The English word 'metal' is translated into Chinese as 金屬 / 金属 (jīnshǔ). If unsure, use 金屬 / 金属. Wiktionary also lists 金 (jīn).
Meaning: atomic element or material made of such atoms (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 金屬 / 金属 | jīnshǔ | |
| 金 | jīn | /t͡ɕin⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /t͡ɕin⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
The term refers to an atomic element or a material made of such atoms. You can use 金属材料 to mean 'metal material' or simply 'metal'. To describe an object that is 'made of metal', use the construction 金屬製.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 金屬 is the standard noun used to refer to the material or the class of elements known as metals.
Which one should you use?
While 金 can mean 'metal' when used in certain compound words, it is most commonly used to mean 'gold'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, 合金 is used to mean 'metal alloy'.
How do you pronounce it?
jīnshǔ
Did you know?
- In the traditional Chinese Five Elements system, 金 represents 'metal' and is associated with the autumn season and the color white.
- The character 金 was originally a pictograph representing metal buried within the earth, though many ancient versions omit the 'earth' component.
- The word 金 is used as a radical in the writing of almost every other specific metal in Chinese, such as 'iron' 鐵 or 'silver' 銀.
Examples in context
- 酸性腐蚀了金属。The acid ate into the metal.This sentence shows how acid can corrode 金.Tatoeba #2819994 by CLARET, translation #245176 by CK
- 紅木書桌上有一個金屬杯子和一個藍色杯墊。On the mahogany desk, there is a metal cup and a blue coaster.This sentence uses 金 to describe a cup.Tatoeba #13557561 by LeviHighway, translation #13547981 by LeviHighway
- 铁是一种金属。Iron is a metal.This sentence uses 金 to identify iron as a type of metal.Tatoeba #8932409 by iiujik, translation #8842290 by CK
- 机器中含有大量的金属零件The machine contains a lot of metal parts.
- 铁是一种重要的金属Iron is an important metal.
- 汽车通常使用各种金属材料Cars typically use various metal materials.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “metal” translations and entries 金, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 金, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
