炭すみ

す

み

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

noun

charcoal

Refers to charcoal as a material, fuel, or drawing medium. Common in cooking, heating, and art contexts.

バーベキューに炭すみを使つかう。
We use charcoal for the barbecue.
彼かれは炭すみでスケッチを描かいた。
He drew a sketch with charcoal.

noun

charred remains

rare term

Rare use for something that has been burned to charcoal-like remains, such as after a fire.

火か事じの後あと、家いえは炭すみのようになっていた。
After the fire, the house was like charred remains.

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Usage patterns

炭すみを焼やくto make charcoal (by burning wood)
祖そ父ふは山やまで炭すみを焼やいて生せい活かつしていた。
My grandfather made his living by making charcoal in the mountains.
炭すみに火ひをつけるto light charcoal
バーベキューの前まえに炭すみに火ひをつけた。
We lit the charcoal before the barbecue.
炭すみで〈物もの〉を焼やくto grill something over charcoal
炭すみで魚さかなを焼やくと香かおりがいい。
Fish grilled over charcoal has a wonderful aroma.
〈物もの〉が炭すみになるfor something to be burned to charred remains
火か事じで家いえの柱はしらが炭すみになってしまった。
The pillars of the house were burned to charred remains in the fire.

Kanji

炭charcoal, coal

Related words

木もく炭たん sense 1
木炭 is the more technical or formal term for charcoal specifically made from wood, while 炭 is the everyday word covering charcoal in general.
薪しん炭たん
炭 refers only to charcoal, whereas 薪炭 covers both charcoal and firewood together as fuel.

Don't confuse with· 5

石せき炭たんN3sense 1
石炭 is coal, a fossil fuel dug from the ground, while 炭 is charcoal made by burning wood, and the two are often confused because both are black, burnable rocks.
墨すみN2sense 1
墨 (also read すみ) is the solid ink stick used in calligraphy, a completely different word from 炭 (charcoal) despite sharing the same pronunciation.
灰はいN3sense 2
灰 is ash, the powdery residue left after something burns completely, whereas 炭 (in its 'charred remains' sense) still keeps a solid, blackened form.

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炭たん素そN1
炭素 is the chemical element carbon, while 炭 refers to charcoal, a solid fuel made mostly of carbon.
薪まき
炭 is charcoal, wood that has already been burned down and carbonized, while 薪 is raw wood used as fuel before that process.

Counted with

俵たわら
straw bag; sack; bale · counter for sacks (of rice, potatoes, coal, etc.)

Word family· 30

炭すみ火び
charcoal fire
炭すみ焼やき
charcoal making; charcoal maker · charcoal-roasted; charcoal-grilled
炭すみ屋や
charcoal dealer; charcoal shop
消けし炭ずみ
partly burned charcoal; charcoal that has been extinguished · servant boy at a brothel or teahouse (archaic)
切きり炭ずみ
cut-up charcoal; charcoal pieces

Show 8 more

堅かた炭ずみ
hard charcoal
小こ炭ずみ
small charcoal
後ご炭ずみ
second adding of charcoal to the fire (tea ceremony)
散ばら炭ずみ
charcoal from thin branches · bulk charcoal; loose charcoal
松まつ炭ずみ
pine charcoal
正しょう炭すみ
first adding of charcoal to the fire (tea ceremony)
炭すみ俵だわら
charcoal sack; straw bag for charcoal
炭すみ窯がま
charcoal kiln; charcoal pile

See all 30 in Explore →

Etymology

The kanji 炭 depicts fire (火) and a component suggesting a cliff or charcoal kiln, representing charcoal produced by burning wood in a covered mound. The reading すみ is native Japanese.