Meet 炭 in words about fuel and carbon. Learn each reading with the whole word.
The idea
炭 has 9 strokes. Follow the linked diagram. Alone it is すみ; in 木炭（もくたん）, 石炭（せきたん） and 炭酸水（たんさんすい） it is たん. 炭火 is すみび.
| Word | Reading | Meaning in context |
|---|---|---|
| 炭 | すみ | I grill fish over charcoal. |
| 木炭 | もくたん | I put charcoal in a box. |
| 石炭 | せきたん | We transport coal by ship. |
| 炭酸水 | たんさんすい | I drink a glass of sparkling water. |
| 炭火 | すみび | I grill meat over charcoal. |
Examples
- 炭で魚を焼きます。I grill fish over charcoal.
- 炭に火をつけます。I light the charcoal.
- 木炭を箱に入れます。I put charcoal in a box.
- 石炭を船で運びます。We transport coal by ship.
- 炭酸水を一杯飲みます。I drink a glass of sparkling water.
- 炭火で肉を焼きます。I grill meat over charcoal.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Japanese device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
炭 and 木炭 refer to charcoal, whereas 石炭 is coal. 炭酸水 is sparkling water, not water containing pieces of charcoal.
Try it yourself
炭（＿＿）
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すみ
炭 is すみ when used as the word for charcoal.
木炭（＿＿）
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もくたん
木炭 is もくたん: 炭 is read たん in this compound.
石＿（せきたん）［炭／火］
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炭
炭 completes 石炭（せきたん）, meaning coal; 石 alone is not the answer.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
炭（＿＿）
木炭（＿＿）
石＿（せきたん）［炭／火］
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write 炭 following the diagram, cover the table and read 木炭 and 炭火 aloud. Make a sentence with one.