煤 méi carbon
carbon; charcoal; coal; coke
How to remember 煤: 火 fire + 某 some = carbon. To keep the fire going all winter, grandpa shovels some more black carbon into the old stove.
Component breakdown
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
煤 = 火 fire + 某 some
- 火 fire meaning
- 某 some sound
To keep the fire going all winter, grandpa shovels some more black carbon into the old stove.
How it came to be
Fire gives the meaning and the right part gives the sound.
How it is used
- Coal: 煤炭 (méitàn) coal, 煤矿 (méikuàng) a coal mine.
- 煤气 (méiqì) = coal gas/piped gas (煤气灶 a gas stove, 煤气中毒 gas poisoning).
- An energy/industrial term; distinct from 碳 (tàn, carbon) and 炭 (tàn, charcoal).
- 烧煤 (shāo méi) = to burn coal (for heating).