How to say "coal" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 石炭せきたんnounThe usual word for coal, the black fossil fuel dug from the ground and burned as fuel or used in industry. This is the word you want in most everyday and technical contexts.
- nounA loanword meaning coal. It covers the same substance as 石炭 but is less common, so 石炭 is normally the safer choice in writing and speech.
- 油石あぶらいしnounA less common word glossed as both coal and charcoal, so it is ambiguous between the two. For coal specifically it is seldom the word you want; prefer 石炭.
Use 石炭 for coal in ordinary contexts; 「コール」 is a less common loanword for coal; 油石 is a marginal word covering both coal and charcoal.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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