金属
jīnshǔ · HSK 7
tincture
🔩 金属 = 金 metal/gold + 属 category — the category of metals
金 carries the sense of gold or metal; 属 means a class or things that belong together. Read literally it is the metal-class, hence metal or metallic. The shǔ in 属 is the same one used for biological genus or which zodiac you belong to.
金 — roof 亼 + two dots (metal nuggets) + earth 土
Originally a pictograph of metal nuggets buried in the earth beneath a covering, with the two dots representing pieces of ore. It first meant 'metal' broadly, then narrowed to 'gold' as the most precious metal, and by extension 'money'.
属 — radical 尸 (corpse/body) + 禹/蜀 phonetic component
Originally written 屬, depicting a tail-like form attached to a body, suggesting connection or belonging. The 尸 radical relates to body/posture, while the lower component carried the sound. Over time the meaning extended from 'to join/attach' to 'belong to,' 'category,' and 'kind.'