# 炭 — charcoal; coal

炭 means “charcoal; coal”. It is a JLPT N3 kanji written with 9 strokes. On'yomi: タン (tan). Kun'yomi: すみ (sumi). You'll see it in words such as 炭 (sumi, “charcoal”).

- Meaning: charcoal; coal
- On'yomi: タン (tan)
- Kun'yomi: すみ (sumi)
- Strokes: 9
- Level: JLPT N3 · set Metal, stone & materials

## How to remember 炭

Ash (灰) dug from a mountain (山): coal.

Parts: 山 mountain · 灰 ash

## Words with 炭

| Word | Reading | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 炭 | すみ (sumi) | charcoal |

## Don't confuse it with

[灰](https://moji.ninja/n2-kanji/ash/) · [岸](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/shore/) · [崖](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/cliff/)

## More in the “Metal, stone & materials” set

[石](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/stone/) · [材](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/timber/) · [鉄](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/iron/) · [油](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/oil/) · [玉](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/ball/) · [板](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/board/) · [炭](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/charcoal/)

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From Moji Ninja (https://moji.ninja/), a free app for learning hiragana, katakana and the JLPT kanji from N5 to N1 with spaced repetition. Page: https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/charcoal/. Last updated 2026-11-01.