bok6鉑铂
Jyutpingbok6
Yalebohk
Definition
Platinum; a greyish-white precious metal with atomic number 78, commonly known as white gold.
neutralother
How it's used
While scientific contexts strictly use 鉑 for platinum, everyday speech almost exclusively uses 白金. This creates confusion because jewelers often use 白金 to refer to white gold, which is an alloy of gold and other metals like nickel or palladium. Always clarify whether you mean the chemical element or the jewelry material to avoid misunderstandings.
Examples
Are platinum and white gold the same thing?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse 鉑金 with 白金 when buying jewelry, as they are chemically distinct materials with different market values. Many people use the terms interchangeably in casual conversation, but they are not the same in a metallurgical sense.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
