鉄 means “iron”

てつ · tetsu

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

くろがね

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

テツ

Taught in grade 3 · 13 strokes

The story

Metal (金) that loses (失) nothing to time: iron endures. Japan's iron-smelting tradition (たたら, tatara) produced the legendary tamahagane steel used in katana forging. The process, kept alive for centuries, inspired the iron town in Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke.

Used in 鉄道 (tetsudou, railroad), 地下鉄 (chikatetsu, subway), and 鉄鋼 (tekkou, iron and steel)

More from Earth & Minerals

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• 銅 copper
• 炭 charcoal
• 泥 mud
• 宝 treasure
• 陸 land
• 掘 dig
• 鋼 steel
• 層 layer
• 鉱 ore
• 晶 crystal

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.