铁

Meaning of 铁

铁 (tiě) is iron — evoking hardness and toughness. It forms 铁路 (railway, literally "iron road") and appears in 铮铮铁骨 (iron bones), a metaphor for indomitable character.

To say Iron in Chinese, pronounce 铁 as Tiě. The marks over the letters show the tones — the pitch contour that distinguishes Mandarin syllables.