矿

• Pinyin: kuàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 矿 = 石 (stone) + 广 (phonetic), mine/ore

Meaning

Mine; ore; mineral deposit. A place where minerals are extracted or the minerals themselves.

Used for mining sites and mineral resources. Common compounds: 煤矿 (coal mine), 金矿 (gold mine), 矿产 (mineral resources), 矿工 (miner), 矿泉水 (mineral water), 矿石 (ore). Can be metaphorical: 这个人是个宝矿 (this person is a goldmine of talent).

Examples

1. 这个地区的煤矿资源非常丰富，曾经是重要的工业基地。 This region has very rich coal mine resources and was once an important industrial base.
2. 矿工们每天在几百米深的地下工作，非常辛苦。 Miners work hundreds of meters underground every day; it's very hard work.
3. 政府关闭了好几座污染严重的矿，改为发展旅游业。 The government closed several heavily polluting mines and shifted to developing tourism.

Usage Guide

Context: industry, geography, resources

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 他在矿上工作了二十年。(He worked at the mine for twenty years.)
• 这瓶矿泉水是从山里取的。(This mineral water is sourced from the mountains.)

Don't Say

• 把矿和厂混淆 (矿 is specifically for extraction of natural resources; 厂 is a factory for manufacturing)

Origin & History

Pictophonetic: 石 (stone) indicates meaning (minerals come from rock), 广 provides sound. Original meaning was mineral deposit.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal