Japanese kanji 銅: copper, wire and bronze

The idea

銅 has 14 strokes and the common reading どう. The metal component 金 appears on the left and 同 on the right. Read 銅像（どうぞう）, 銅線（どうせん） and 銅貨（どうか） as complete words; use the linked diagram for stroke order.

Examples

• この鍋なべは銅どうでできています。This pot is made of copper.
• 銅どうは電気でんきをよく通とおします。Copper conducts electricity well.
• その選手せんしゅは銅どうメダルを獲得かくとくしました。The athlete won a bronze medal.
• 公園こうえんに銅像どうぞうがあります。There is a bronze statue in the park.
• この銅線どうせんは細ほそいです。The copper wire is thin.
• 博物館はくぶつかんで古ふるい銅貨どうかを見みました。I saw an old copper coin at the museum.

Watch out

銅 means copper, but 銅メダル and 銅像 commonly refer to bronze, an alloy. Do not confuse 銅 with 銀, silver: both have the metal component, but their right sides differ.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 銅 in hiragana.

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   どう

   銅 is どう: この鍋は銅でできています means the pot is made of copper.

2. Write the reading of 銅像 in hiragana.

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   どうぞう

   銅像 is どうぞう, a bronze statue; 公園に銅像があります places one in a park.

3. Choose the missing kanji: ＿線（どうせん）［銅／銀］.

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   銅

   銅 completes 銅線（どうせん）, copper wire. 銀 would indicate silver instead.

Use it today

Write 銅 using the stroke diagram, then cover the readings and recall 銅像 and 銅線. Make a sentence about one object.