炭 meaning and stroke order
Wood charcoal; coal
How to write 炭, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 9
Meaning of 炭
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- wood charcoal
- coal
How 炭 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Ashes.
灰 gives the meaning and 山 hints at the sound.
Radical: 火 (fire), shared by 128 characters on this site.
How to remember 炭
Picture a mountain 山 (shān) sitting on top of ashes 灰 (huī). Charcoal is what is left when wood burns down, so 炭 (tàn) is a pile of dark, ash-like fuel, with 山 on top hinting at the sound.
炭 (tàn) usually appears in compound words like 煤炭 (méitàn) coal and 木炭 (mùtàn) charcoal rather than alone in speech. Example: 我们用木炭烤肉。(Wǒmen yòng mùtàn kǎo ròu.) We grill meat over charcoal.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 炭 (tàn) with 碳 (tàn), which has the stone radical 石 and means the chemical element carbon, as in 二氧化碳 (èryǎnghuàtàn) carbon dioxide. Use 炭 for physical charcoal or coal you can burn, and 碳 for carbon in science.
Common words with 炭
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 煤炭 | méitàn | coal | HSK 7-9 |
| 木炭 | mùtàn | charcoal | |
| 焦炭 | jiāotàn | coke (processed coal used in blast furnace) |
炭 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 炭
Learning 炭 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 炭
How many strokes are in 炭?
炭 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 炭 mean?
炭 (tàn) means wood charcoal; coal. A common word with it is 煤炭 (méitàn), meaning "coal".
How do you pronounce 炭?
炭 is pronounced tàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 炭?
The radical of 炭 is 火, which carries the idea of "fire". Dictionaries list 炭 under this radical.
Is 炭 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 炭 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 炭 and 煤?
煤 (méi) refers to coal dug from the ground. 炭 (tàn) is broader and often means charcoal made by burning wood, though the two combine as 煤炭 (méitàn), a common word for coal in general.
Is 炭 used in any everyday expressions?
Yes. 生灵涂炭 (shēnglíng tútàn) is an idiom describing people living in extreme misery, as if dropped into mud and burning coals. You will also see 炭火 (tànhuǒ) charcoal fire, for example on grilled food menus.