碳 (tàn) - Carbon — a chemical element (symbol C, atomic & commonly refers to carbon dioxide and carbon emissions

碳Tone 4

tàn ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

檀婷

碳 · tàn

Carbon — a chemical element (symbol C, atomic number 6) that is the basis of all known life and occurs in many inorganic compounds;

commonly refers to carbon dioxide and carbon emissions in environmental contexts.

Carbon — a chemical element (symbol C, atomiccommonly refers to carbon dioxide and carbon emissions

Usage highlights

Carbon dioxideCarbon emissionsCarbon footprintCarbon neutralCarbon elementCarbon fiber

Synonyms

  • 炭— charcoal (different character but same pronunciation)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Diamonds are a form of pure carbon (碳).
  • Carbon dioxide emissions (二氧化碳排放) contribute to climate change.
  • The carbon cycle (碳循环) is essential for life on Earth.
  • Carbon fiber (碳纤维) is used in high-performance materials.
  • Carbon dating (碳定年法) helps determine the age of organic materials.

Collocations

  • Carbon dioxide(二氧化碳)
  • Carbon emissions(碳排放)
  • Carbon footprint(碳足迹)
  • Carbon neutral(碳中和)
  • Carbon element(碳元素)
  • Carbon fiber(碳纤维)

Idioms

  • Carbon neutrality(碳中和)
  • Carbon peak(碳达峰)
  • Carbon sequestration(碳封存)
  • Carbon trading(碳交易)
  • Carbon sink(碳汇)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In modern Chinese, 碳 is strongly associated with environmental issues and climate change discussions.
  • The character represents one of the fundamental elements in chemistry and biology.
  • China has made carbon neutrality (碳中和) a key national policy goal for 2060.

FAQ