金

• Pinyin: jīn
• Hanzi breakdown: 金 = a pictograph of metal nuggets in the earth; now the radical for all metal-related characters (钅)

Meaning

Gold; golden. Refers to the precious metal gold, or used as an adjective meaning golden in colour or highly valuable.

As a noun, refers to the metal gold or money in some contexts. As an adjective, it describes the colour gold or something precious and valuable. Commonly appears in compounds like 金色 (golden colour), 金钱 (money), 金鱼 (goldfish). Also a common Chinese surname.

Examples

1. 她戴了一条金项链。 She wore a gold necklace.
2. 秋天的树叶变成了金色。 The autumn leaves turned golden.
3. 金比银贵很多。 Gold is much more expensive than silver.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, materials, description

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 这个戒指是金的。(This ring is gold.)
• 金色的阳光照在窗户上。(Golden sunlight shone on the window.)

Don't Say

• 我的金不够了。(Don't use 金 alone to mean 'money' in everyday speech — use 钱. 金 for money is literary or appears in compounds like 资金.)

Origin & History

Originally a pictograph in oracle bone script depicting nuggets of metal buried in the earth. The character now serves as the radical for metal-related characters (钅).

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal