iron
On'yomi (音読み)
- テツ
Kun'yomi (訓読み)
- くろがね
About this kanji
The kanji 鉄, which means "iron," is commonly used as a noun. It appears in various compounds that reflect its strong association with transportation and industry. For instance, 国鉄 (こくてつ) means "national railway," referring to the government-owned train services, while 私鉄 (してつ) means "private railway," which are privately operated train companies. Another common compound is 鉄道 (てつどう), meaning "railroad." The word 鉄鋼 (てっこう) refers to "iron and steel," showing its importance in construction and manufacturing. A usage note: although you might only see 鉄 on its own in specific contexts, it frequently combines with other kanji to form terms related to transportation and infrastructure.
Example sentences
鉄道は国の重要なインフラだ。
Railways are an important infrastructure of the country.
Meanings across languages
- English
- iron
- Tiếng Việt
- sắt
- 日本語
- 鉄
- 한국어
- 철
- 中文
- 铁
- id
- besi
- th
- เหล็ก
- es
- hierro
- fr
- fer
- de
- Eisen
- pt
- ferro
Common compounds
- 国鉄こくてつnational railway, Japan National Railways (1949-1987)
- 私鉄してつprivate railway
- 鉄鋼てっこうiron and steel
- 鉄道てつどうrailroad, railway, rail transport
- 電鉄でんてつelectric railway
- 地下鉄ちかてつsubway, metro, underground (railway)
- 製鉄せいてつiron manufacture
- 鉄橋てっきょうrailway bridge, iron bridge
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