炭 tàn carbon
carbon; charcoal; coal
How it came to be
A mountain over the ashes block, ash you can put your hand in. Charcoal was burned in pits cut into hillsides, and the character shows where it came from, not what it is.
用法
- Charcoal - 木炭 (mùtàn) charcoal, 煤炭 (méitàn) coal, 炭火 (tànhuǒ) a charcoal fire.
- 雪中送炭 (xuězhōng-sòngtàn), to send charcoal in the snow, means to give timely help when it's most needed - the warm opposite of 锦上添花.