About
The character "氦" was constructed in the modern period to designate the chemical element helium, following the phono-semantic model common in Chinese character formation by combining the semantic component "气", which denotes gases, with the phonetic component "亥", which provides the approximate sound. This deliberate creation for a scientific term means its etymology is directly tied to Western linguistic borrowing, specifically from the English "helium", with "亥" chosen to mimic the initial syllable. Structurally, the character consistently presents the "气" radical positioned above "亥", a layout that has remained uniform without alteration between traditional and simplified systems. Since its inception, the meaning of "氦" has been exclusively and stably associated with the noble gas, reflecting no semantic evolution or broadening beyond this specific reference.
Example Sentences Hide
气球里充满了氦气。
氦是一种惰性气体。
他们用氦气填充飞艇。
氦气的密度比空气小很多。
科学家在实验室中制备氦。
氦原子核由两个质子和两个中子组成。
由于氦气不易燃，它被用于安全气囊。
氦在宇宙中的丰度仅次于氢。