About
The character 煤 is a phono-semantic compound, combining the fire radical 火 on the left, which indicates the semantic category of fire, burning, and heat, with the phonetic component 某 on the right, which supplies the sound. Originally, the character meant soot, the black, powdery carbon residue left behind by a burning fire. Over time, the primary meaning shifted to coal, a combustible black sedimentary rock commonly used as a solid fuel. This shift from a fire's byproduct to the fuel that feeds a fire reflects a coherent semantic extension, with the fire radical underlying both senses.
Example Sentences Hide
这个城市用煤取暖。
煤炭是一种重要能源。
工人们在煤矿里工作。
工厂燃烧煤来发电。
煤的开采会影响环境。
中国是煤的生产大国。
煤的贸易在全球很活跃。
尽管煤污染环境，但它仍是主要能源。
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