钙

• Pinyin: gài
• Hanzi breakdown: 钙 = 钅 (metal radical) + 丐 (phonetic: gài — beggar, used for sound only)

Meaning

Calcium. The chemical element with atomic number 20, essential for bone health, muscle function, nerve transmission, and cellular processes.

Used in scientific, medical, and everyday health contexts. Common in nutritional guidance, food labelling, and pharmaceutical advertising. Key compounds: 缺钙 (calcium deficiency), 补钙 (calcium supplementation), 钙质 (calcium substance/content), 碳酸钙 (calcium carbonate), 氯化钙 (calcium chloride). China has widespread public health campaigns promoting calcium intake, particularly targeting children and the elderly.

Examples

1. 骨质疏松症患者应在医生指导下适量补充钙和维生素D，并结合适度的负重运动加以预防。 People with osteoporosis should, under a doctor’s guidance, take appropriate calcium and vitamin D and combine it with moderate weight-bearing exercise to help prevent it.
2. 牛奶、豆腐及深绿色蔬菜均是日常饮食中优质的天然钙来源，建议均衡摄取。 Milk, tofu, and dark leafy greens are all excellent natural sources of calcium in everyday diets, and a balanced intake is recommended.
3. 儿童成长期间若长期缺钙，可能导致骨骼发育迟缓、牙齿钙化不全等一系列健康问题。 If children are calcium-deficient for a long time during growth, it may lead to slow bone development, poor tooth mineralization, and a range of other health problems.

Usage Guide

Context: health, medicine, nutrition, science

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 营养师建议中老年人每日钙摄入量应不低于一千毫克，并尽量通过食物而非单纯依靠补充剂来满足需求。(Nutritionists recommend that middle-aged and older adults consume no less than one thousand milligrams of calcium per day, and try to meet this need through food rather than relying solely on supplements.)
• 这款奶酪产品每百克含钙量高达七百毫克，是补充钙质的理想食品选择之一。(This cheese product contains up to 700 milligrams of calcium per 100 grams, making it one of the ideal food choices for calcium supplementation.)

Don't Say

• 他的性格很钙 — 钙 is a chemical element and nutritional term; it has no figurative or personality-related usage in standard Chinese

Origin & History

钙 — a modern coined character using 钅 (metal radical) + 丐 (phonetic component indicating pronunciation gài)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal