Mnemonic
Is it gold? It looks the same at first glance—warm, shiny, metallic. But scratch the surface and you discover copper, blushing reddish-brown, forever pretending to be its richer cousin. Same family, different paycheck.
Additional thoughts
Gold and copper sit in the same column of the periodic table (Group 11), so they really are chemically 'the same' family. Picture a copper coin spray-painted gold, the paint flaking off to reveal the truth.Quick recall
A metal the same as gold on the surface is really just copper in disguise.Details
The keyword for 銅 is copper. This kanji refers to the metallic element copper, a reddish-brown metal that has been used by humans since ancient times for tools, coins, and decorative objects. It is one of the most important industrial metals, valued for its excellent electrical conductivity and malleability. In Japanese, it appears in compounds related to bronze, copper coins, and copper mining.
- On'yomi
- どう
- Kun'yomi
- あかがね