鉱 means “ore, mineral”

こう · kou

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

あらがね

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

コウ

Taught in grade 5 · 13 strokes

The story

Metal (金) still wide (広) in the earth: raw ore waiting to be refined. Japan's Iwami Ginzan silver mine, a UNESCO World Heritage site, once produced a third of the world's silver. 鉱山 (kouzan, mines) shaped entire regions, creating boom towns that still echo with industrial heritage.

Used in 鉱山 (kouzan, mine), 鉱物 (koubutsu, mineral), and 鉱石 (kouseki, ore)

More from Earth & Minerals

• 晶 crystal
• 磁 magnet
• 鍛 forge
• 地 earth
• 岩 rock
• 玉 jewel
• 鉄 iron
• 穴 hole
• 原 plain
• 銅 copper
• 炭 charcoal
• 泥 mud

Learn 鉱 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

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