yuánzì Chinese characters of the chemical elements

The same elements, four scripts

Japanese usually transliterates in katakana but glosses the classical gases with 素 “element”: 水素 water-element for hydrogen where Chinese has 氫 light-gas, 酸素 acid-element for oxygen where Chinese has 氧 nourishing. Korean reads the Japanese compounds in Sino-Korean (수소, 산소) and otherwise borrows from English or German. Vietnamese keeps old Chinese loans for the ancient metals (đồng from 銅, thiếc from 錫) and clips French for the rest. The last column gives the Western etymology the Chinese phonetic was chosen to echo.

ZElementChineseTaiwanJapaneseKoreanVietnameseOrigin of the Western name
1Hydrogen H qīng水素수소hydroὕδωρ (root: ὑδρ-) + γενής (hydor genes) “water + begetter” · Greek via Latin and French
2Helium He hàiヘリウム헬륨heliἥλιος (hélios) “sun” · Greek
3Lithium Li リチウム리튬lithiλίθος (lithos) “stone” · Greek
4Beryllium Be ベリリウム베릴륨beryliCity of Belur in India via Greek βήρυλλος (beryllos) “beryl", a mineral” · Sanskrit, Pali, and Prakrit via Greek, Latin, Old French, and Middle English
5Boron B péngホウ素붕소borبورق (buraq) · Arabic, Medieval Latin, Anglo-Norman, Middle French, and Middle English
6Carbon C tàn炭素탄소carboncharbone “charcoal” · Latin via French
7Nitrogen N dàn窒素질소nitơνίτρον (Latin: nitrum) -γενής (-genes) “native-soda begetter” · Greek via Latin and French
8Oxygen O yǎng酸素산소oxyὀξύ γείνομαι (oxy geinomai)/oxygène “to bring forth acid” · Greek via French
9Fluorine F フッ素플루오린fluorfluor “a flowing” · Latin
10Neon Ne nǎiネオン네온neonνέος (neos) “new” · Greek
11Sodium Na ナトリウム나트륨natrisoda · English
12Magnesium Mg měiマグネシウム마그네슘magnesiΜαγνησία (Magnesia) · Greek
13Aluminium Al アルミニウム알루미늄nhômalumen “alum" (literally: bitter salt)” · Latin
14Silicon Si guīケイ素규소silicsilex, silicis “flint” · Latin
15Phosphorus P línリンphosphorφῶς + φόρος (phos + phoros) “light-bearer” · Greek via Latin
16Sulphur S liú硫黄lưu huỳnhOld Latin sulpur; (later sulphur, sulfur); ; Proto-Indo-European *swépl̥; (genitive *sulplós),; nominal derivative of *swelp. “to burn” · Latin; ; Proto-Indo-European (PIE)
17Chlorine Cl 塩素염소chlorχλωρός (chlorós) “pale green” · Greek
18Argon Ar アルゴン아르곤agonἀργόν (argon) “inactive” · Greek
19Potassium K jiǎカリウム칼륨kalipotassa; potasch via potash “pot-ash” · Neo-Latin via Dutch and English
20Calcium Ca gàiカルシウム칼슘calciχάλιξ/calx “pebble"/"limestone” · Greek/Latin
21Scandium Sc kàngスカンジウム스칸듐scandiScandia “Scandinavia” · Latin
22Titanium Ti tàiチタン타이타늄titanΤιτάν, : Τιτάνος (Titan) “Titans", sons of Gaia” · Greek
23Vanadium V fánバナジウム바나듐vanadiVanadís “Dís of the Vanir” · Old Norse
24Chromium Cr クロム크로뮴chromiχρῶμα (chróma) “colour” · Greek via French
25Manganese Mn měngマンガン망가니즈manganΜαγνησία; (Magnesia;; Medieval Latin: magnesia) “Magnesia (regional unit)", Greece” · Greek via Latin, Italian, and French
26Iron Fe tiěsắtīsern; (earlier: īren/īsen); /yren/yron “holy metal or strong metal” · Old English via Middle English
27Cobalt Co コバルト코발트cobaltKobold|italic=yes “goblin” · German
28Nickel Ni nièニッケル니켈nikenKopparnickel/; Kupfernickel “copper-coloured ore” · Swedish via German
29Copper Cu tóng구리đồngΚύπριος (Kyprios)? “who/which is from Cyprus” · Greek? via Latin, West Germanic, Old English, and Middle English
30Zinc Zn xīn亜鉛아연kẽmZink “?"Cornet” · German
31Gallium Ga jiāガリウム갈륨galiGallia “Gaul" (Ancient France)” · Latin
32Germanium Ge zhěゲルマニウム저마늄gecmaniGermania “Germany” · Latin
33Arsenic As shēnヒ素비소asenἀρσενικόν (arsenikon) “?"male” · Syriac/Persian via Greek, Latin, Old French, and Middle English
34Selenium Se セレン셀레늄selenσελήνη (selene) “moon” · Greek
35Bromine Br xiù臭素브로민bromβρῶμος (brómos) “dirt" or "stench" (of male goat){{cite book” · Greek via French
36Krypton Kr クリプトン크립톤kryptonκρυπτός (kryptos) “hidden” · Greek
37Rubidium Rb ルビジウム루비듐rubidirubidus “deepest red” · Latin
38Strontium Sr ストロンチウム스트론튬strontiStrontian “proper name” · Scottish Gaelic via English
39Yttrium Y イットリウム이트륨yttriYtterby “proper name” · Swedish
40Zirconium Zr gàoジルコニウム지르코늄zirconiܙܐܪܓܥܢܥ (zargono),{{cite web “gold-like” · Syriac/Persian via Arabic and German
41Niobium Nb ニオブ나이오븀niobiΝιόβη (Niobe) “snowy” · Greek
42Molybdenum Mo モリブデン몰리브데넘molypdenμόλυβδος (molybdos) “lead-like” · Greek
43Technetium Tc テクネチウム테크네튬tecnetiτεχνητός (technetos) “artificial” · Greek
44Ruthenium Ru liǎoルテニウム루테늄rutheniRuthenia “Ruthenia", Kievan Rus'{{Cite book” · Latin
45Rhodium Rh lǎoロジウム로듐rhodiῥόδον (rhodon) “rose” · Greek
46Palladium Pd パラジウム팔라듐paladiΠαλλάς (genitive: Παλλάδος) (Pallas) “little maiden” · Greek via Latin
47Silver Ag yínbạc(siolfor/seolfor) “to refine", "smelt” · Akkadian via Old English and Middle English
48Cadmium Cd カドミウム카드뮴cadmiκαδμεία (kadmeia) “Earth" (as classical element),; "calamine" or Cadmean earth[?]” · Greek/Latin
49Indium In yīnインジウム인듐indiindigo · Greek via Latin and English
50Tin Sn スズ주석thiếctin · Anglo-Saxon via Middle English
51Antimony Sb アンチモン안티모니antimon “various” · Greek? via Medieval Latin and Middle English
52Tellurium Te テルル텔루륨teluaTellus “Earth” · Latin
53Iodine I diǎnヨウ素아이오딘iodἰώδης (iodes) “violet” · Greek via French
54Xenon Xe xiānキセノン제논xenonξένος (xenos) “foreign” · Greek
55Caesium Cs セシウム세슘xêsicaesius “blue-grey" or "sky blue” · Latin
56Barium Ba bèiバリウム바륨bariβαρύς (barys) “heavy” · Greek via Neo-Latin
57Lanthanum La lánランタン란타넘lantanλανθάνειν (lanthanein) “to escape notice” · Greek
58Cerium Ce shìセリウム세륨xericeres “grain", "bread” · Latin
59Praseodymium Pr プラセオジム프라세오디뮴praseodymiπράσιος δίδυμος (prasios didymos) “green twin” · Greek
60Neodymium Nd ネオジム네오디뮴neodymiνέος δίδυμος (neos didymos) “new twin” · Greek
61Promethium Pm プロメチウム프로메튬promethiΠρομηθεύς (Prometheus) “forethought” · Greek
62Samarium Sm shānサマリウム사마륨samariSamarsky-Bykhovets, Vassili
63Europium Eu yǒuユウロピウム유로퓸europiΕὐρώπη (Europe) “broad-faced" or "well-watered” · Ancient Greek
64Gadolinium Gd ガドリニウム가돌리늄gadoliniGadolin, Johan · Finnish
65Terbium Tb テルビウム터븀terbiYtterby “proper name” · Swedish
66Dysprosium Dy ジスプロシウム디스프로슘dysprosiδυσπρόσιτος (dysprositos) “hard to get at” · Greek
67Holmium Ho huǒホルミウム홀뮴holmiHolmia “Stockholm” · Latin
68Erbium Er ěrエルビウム어븀erbiYtterby “proper name” · Swedish
69Thulium Tm diūツリウム툴륨thuliΘούλη (Thoúlē){{cite web “Thule” · Greek
70Ytterbium Yb イッテルビウム이터븀ytterbiYtterby “proper name” · Swedish
71Lutetium Lu liúルテチウム루테튬lutetiLutetia “Paris” · Latin
72Hafnium Hf ハフニウム하프늄hafniHafnia “Copenhagen” · Latin
73Tantalum Ta tǎnタンタル탄탈럼tantaliΤάνταλος (Tantalus) “possibly "the bearer" or "the sufferer” · Greek
74Tungsten W タングステン텅스텐vonframtung sten “heavy stone” · Swedish and Danish
75Rhenium Re láiレニウム레늄rheniRhenus “Rhine” · Latin
76Osmium Os éオスミウム오스뮴osmiὀσμή (osme) “a smell” · Greek via Neo-Latin
77Iridium Ir イリジウム이리듐iridiἴρις (genitive: ἴριδος) (iris) “of rainbows” · Greek via Latin
78Platinum Pt 白金백금platinplatina (del Pinto) “little silver" (of the Pinto River){{cite book” · Spanish via Neo-Latin
79Gold Au jīnvànggold · Old English via Middle English
80Mercury Hg gǒng水銀수은thủy ngânMercurius “Mercury", Roman god” · Latin
81Thallium Tl タリウム탈륨taliθαλλός (thallos) “green twig” · Greek
82Lead Pb qiānchìlead · Anglo-Saxon
83Bismuth Bi ビスマス비스무트bitmutbisemutum “white mass” · Neo-Latin from German
84Polonium Po ポロニウム폴로늄poloniPolonia “Poland” · Latin
85Astatine At àiàiアスタチン아스타틴astatinἄστατος (astatos) “unstable” · Greek
86Radon Rn dōngラドン라돈radonradium · Latin via German and English
87Francium Fr fāngフランシウム프랑슘franxiFrance · French
88Radium Ra léiラジウム라듐radiradius “ray” · Latin via French
89Actinium Ac āアクチニウム악티늄actiniἀκτίς (aktis) “beam” · Greek
90Thorium Th トリウム토륨thoriÞōrr (Thor) “thunder” · Old Norse
91Protactinium Pa プロトアクチニウム프로탁티늄protactiniπρῶτος + ἀκτίς “first beam element” · Greek
92Uranium U yóuウラン우라늄uraniΟὐρανός (Ouranos); "Uranus" “sky” · Greek via Latin
93Neptunium Np nàiネプツニウム넵투늄neptuniNeptunus “Neptune” · Latin
94Plutonium Pu プルトニウム플루토늄plutoniΠλούτων (Ploutōn) via "Pluto" “god of wealth” · Greek via Latin
95Americium Am méiměiアメリシウム아메리슘americiAmerica
96Curium Cm キュリウム퀴륨curiumCurie, Marie and Pierre
97Berkelium Bk péiběiバークリウム버클륨berkeliUniversity of California, Berkeley · Anglo-Saxon via English
98Californium Cf kāiカリホルニウム캘리포늄californiCalifornia · English
99Einsteinium Es āiàiアインスタイニウム아인슈타이늄einsteiniEinstein, Albert · German
100Fermium Fm fèiフェルミウム페르뮴fermiFermi, Enrico “Italian surname” · Italian
101Mendelevium Md ménメンデレビウム멘델레븀MendeleviMendeleyev, Dmitri
102Nobelium No nuòノーベリウム노벨륨NobeliNobel, Alfred
103Lawrencium Lr láoローレンシウム로렌슘LawrenciLawrence, Ernest
104Rutherfordium Rf ラザホージウム러더포듐rutherfordiRutherford, Ernest
105Dubnium Db 𨧀 ドブニウム더브늄dubniДубна (Dubna) · Russian
106Seaborgium Sg シーボーギウム시보귬seaborgiSeaborg, Glenn Teodor “Swedish surname” · Swedish via English
107Bohrium Bh ボーリウム보륨bohriBohr, Niels
108Hassium Hs hēiハッシウム하슘hassiHassia “Hesse” · Latin
109Meitnerium Mt màiマイトネリウム마이트너륨meitneriMeitner, Lise
110Darmstadtium Ds ダームスタチウム다름슈타튬darmstadtiDarmstadt “proper name” · German
111Roentgenium Rg lúnレントゲニウム뢴트게늄RoentgeniRöntgen, Wilhelm Conrad
112Copernicium Cn コペルニシウム코페르니슘copernixiCopernicus, Nicolaus “Polish surname” · Polish via Latin
113Nihonium Nh ニホニウム니호늄nihoni日本 (Nihon) “Japan” · Japanese
114Flerovium Fl フレロビウム플레로븀fleroviFlerov, Georgy “Russian surname” · Russian
115Moscovium Mc モスコビウム모스코븀moscoviMoscovia “Moscow” · Latin
116Livermorium Lv リバモリウム리버모륨livermoriLivermore · English
117Tennessine Ts tiánテネシン테네신tennessineTennessee · Cherokee via English
118Oganesson Og àoオガネソン오가네손oganessonOganessian, Yuri (Оганесян) “Armenian surname” · Russian