Onyomi: タン · Kunyomi: すみ · Meanings: charcoal, coal
Kanji for charcoal, coal
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炭 is made from 山 (mountain) on top and 灰 (ash) on the bottom. 山 represents mountains or forest areas where wood is found. 灰 means ash, the result of something burned by fire. Charcoal is made by burning wood, often from mountain forests, until it becomes black, carbon-rich ash. From this clear image of burned mountain wood, 炭 came to mean charcoal.
炭 is wood from the mountains burned into charcoal.
Picture wood from a mountain (山) being burned until it turns into ash and black carbon (灰). That burned result is 炭, charcoal.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 炭 | すみ | charcoal | common Noun |
| 炭鉱 | たんこう | coal mine, (coal) pit, colliery | common JLPT-N2 Noun |
| 炭素 | たんそ | carbon (C) | common JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 炭水化物 | たんすいかぶつ | carbohydrate | Noun |
| 炭素化合物 | たんそかごうぶつ | carbon compounds | Noun |
| 炭酸 | たんさん | carbonic acid | common Noun |
| 炭化 | たんか | carbonization, carbonisation | Noun, Suru verb, Intransitive verb |
| 炭火 | すみび | charcoal fire | Noun |
| 炭焼き | すみやき | charcoal making, charcoal maker | Noun |
| 炭化物 | たんかぶつ | carbide | Noun |