What 锡 means
锡 usually means tin in Chinese.
In material words such as 焊锡 (solder) and 锡矿 (tin ore), it names the metal. In Cantonese, 錫紙 can mean kitchen aluminium foil, which need not contain tin.
A graph form is recorded in a Shang oracle-bone entry, a divination record carved on bone, catalogued as 甲3364. Forms also appear in Western Zhou and early Spring-and-Autumn bronze inscriptions. Shuowen Jiezi, an early Chinese dictionary, defines 錫 as the metal between silver and lead; it says 金 marks the metal and 易 supplies the sound.
Why can 锡 mean “to grant”?
In Classical Chinese, 錫 can mean “to grant.”
Classical Chinese texts also borrowed 錫 in writing for 賜, “to grant” or “bestow.” The sense survives in formal phrases such as 锡命 and 九锡, which refer to grants or ceremonial honors.
Why can Cantonese 錫 mean “care for” or “kiss”?
In Cantonese, 錫 can mean “to cherish” or “kiss.”
Cantonese uses 錫 for 惜 in affectionate speech (“care for” or “cherish”) and also for “kiss.” These are Cantonese word uses, not the ordinary modern Mandarin metal meaning.
Neutral for tin; historical and ceremonial for “bestow”; affectionate in Cantonese when it means care or kiss.
An old formula may mean “grant,” not tin.
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Who writes 锡
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What it means when someone sends it to you
4 readingsTin or a tin-containing material.
Don't confuse it with
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Related characters
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Questions people ask
1Why does 锡 show as a box on some devices?
Because that device's fonts have no glyph for it. The character is still correct and still copies correctly — the box is a missing glyph, not a broken character.
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How to type or find 锡
- Search it as
- xi · tin · 锡 meaning · 锡纸 · 焊锡 · 锡矿 · Sn · 錫
- Shows up in
- Anything that takes text · its shape is whatever your font draws
锡\9521Codes and encoding1 code points
A visible symbol can contain several code points. JS .length counts UTF-16 units; UTF-8 counts bytes.