noun
timely help; sending charcoal in snowy weather
A yojijukugo meaning to provide exactly the help someone needs at a difficult time, from the image of delivering charcoal during a snowstorm. Often used in formal or literary contexts.
彼の支援はまさに雪中送炭だった。
His support was truly like sending charcoal in snowy weather.
困っているときに助けてくれるのは雪中送炭の精神だ。
Helping someone when they are in trouble embodies the spirit of timely assistance.
A more everyday expression for help in times of trouble, without the classical or literary feel of 雪中送炭.
From Chinese origin, literally 'sending charcoal in the snow'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the phrase is used as a metaphor for timely assistance.