鹸 (jiǎn) - Alkaline & lye

鹸Tone 3

jiǎn ｜ 19 strokes ｜ radical:

嘉健

鹸 · jiǎn

Alkaline;

lye;

soda;

refers to alkaline substances used in cleaning or soap making.

Alkalinelyesoda

Usage highlights

Alkaline substanceAlkaline waterSodium carbonateAlkaline earth metalAlkaline reactionSoap alkali

Synonyms

  • 碱— alkali; base (more common simplified form)
  • 硷— alkali (alternative simplified form)

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Baking soda is an alkaline substance (鹸性物质).
  • Soap contains alkali (肥皂含有鹸).
  • The water here has high alkalinity (这里的鹸度高).

Collocations

  • Alkaline substance(鹸性物质)
  • Alkaline water(鹸性水)
  • Sodium carbonate(炭酸鹸)
  • Alkaline earth metal(鹸土金属)
  • Alkaline reaction(鹸性反应)
  • Soap alkali(石鹸)

Idioms

  • Acid-base neutralization(酸鹸中和)
  • Alkaline soil(鹸性土壤)
  • Alkaline taste(鹸味)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically used in traditional soap making and cleaning processes in East Asia.
  • In Japanese, 石鹸 (sekken) means 'soap', showing the character's practical application.
  • The character is relatively rare in modern Chinese usage, more commonly seen in Japanese.

FAQ