Chinese word

煤炭

Pronunciation

Pinyinméi tàn

Meaning

  • nouncoal

Example

很多家庭冬天用煤炭取暖。hěn duō jiā tíng dōng tiān yòng méi tàn qú nuǎn

Many families use coal to heat their homes in winter.

Illustration for 煤炭 (coal)

More examples

燃烧煤炭会产生大量二氧化碳。rán shāo méi tàn huì chǎn shēng dà liàng èr yǎng huà tàn

Burning coal produces a lot of carbon dioxide.

Core concept

Dark fuel from underground that carries fire from the earth into homes, power stations, and factories.

Common phrases

  • 煤炭价格méi tàn jià gé

    coal prices

  • 燃烧煤炭rán shāo méi tàn

    burn coal

  • 煤炭行业méi tàn háng yè

    coal industry

Similar words

燃料rán liào: A material used to produce heat or power.
煤méi: Mined black solid fuel that burns to provide heat and power.
石油shí yóu: A black liquid taken from underground for fuel and industrial production.
天然气tiān rán qì: A fuel gas found underground and used for heating, cooking, and factory work.

Definition in Chinese

一种黑色的可燃矿物燃料，常用于取暖、发电和工业用能。yì zhǒng hēi sè de kě rán kuàng wù rán liào cháng yòng yú qú nuǎn fā diàn hé gōng yè yòng néng

Word origin

煤 (méi, "coal or soot") + 炭 (tàn, "charcoal") combines related images of black residue and solid fuel into the modern name for coal.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, this word is especially useful in conversations about energy, industry, and household heating, so it often appears in practical or news-like contexts.

Opposites

  • 可再生能源kě zài shēng néng yuánrenewable energynoun
  • 核能hé néngnuclear energynoun

Related words

  • 煤炭贸易méi tàn mào yìcoal tradenoun
  • 煤炭出口méi tàn chū kǒucoal exportsnoun

Word lists with this word