U+78B1 "碱" CJK Unified Ideograph-# Unicode Character

U+78B1 "碱" CJK Unified Ideograph-# is a Chinese character representing the concept of alkali or base, commonly used in chemistry and everyday contexts to refer to substances like soda ash or lye. It consists of the radical 石 (stone) on the left, indicating its connection to minerals or solid compounds, and the phonetic component 咸 on the right. In modern Standard Chinese, it is pronounced as "jiǎn" and forms part of words such as 碱性 (alkaline) and 碱水 (alkaline water). This character is also historically significant in Chinese alchemy and traditional manufacturing, such as in the production of glass or soap, reflecting its deep rooted usage in both scientific and cultural domains across East Asia.