煤
soot, smoke dried
Readings
On'yomi
- バイ
- マイ
Kun'yomi
- すす
Meaning
煤 centers on the dark, powdery residue left by fire: soot and smoke-dried deposits.
Most common words using 煤
- 煤すす
soot
- 松煤しょうばい
soot of burnt pine
- 煤けるすすける
to be sooty; to be stained
- 煤塵ばいじん
dust and soot; particulate matter
- 煤掃きすすはき
sweeping the soot from one's house (to welcome the kami of the New Year)
- 煤煙ばいえん
dirty smoke; soot and smoke
- 煤竹すすたけ
soot-colored bamboo (coloured)
- 煤色すすいろ
color of soot (colour)
- 煤色信天翁すすいろあほうどり
sooty albatross (Phoebetria fusca)
- 煤色面梟すすいろめんふくろう
sooty owl (Tyto tenebricosa); greater sooty owl
Study
Etymology
煤 combines 火 (fire) with 某, which likely contributes the sound and may relate to the dark color of soot. The exact historical development of 某 in this context is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
Fire 火 on the left and 某 on the right: picture a fire leaving a dark, sooty residue on something nearby. The 某 shape suggests a dark, smudged surface.
Reading mnemonic
For バイ, imagine buying a chimney sweep's brush to clean soot: buy -> バイ, and the brush scrubs away the dark soot from the fire.