Definition

1. Noun:

   • Coal: A black or dark-brown combustible mineral substance used as fuel, formed from the remains of ancient vegetation.
   • Charcoal: A black, porous form of carbon obtained by partially burning wood or other organic matter in a controlled, low-oxygen environment, used as fuel, for drawing, or for filtering.

2. Verb:

   • To lament / to complain / to moan: To express sorrow, grief, or regret audibly; to voice a complaint about one's own suffering or unfortunate circumstances.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Mỏ than này rất lớn. (This coal mine is very large.)
  • Nghệ sĩ dùng than để vẽ phác thảo. (The artist uses charcoal to draw a sketch.)

• Verb:

  • Cô ấy than về số phận của mình. (She lamented her fate.)
  • Đừng than nữa, hãy hành động đi. (Stop complaining and take action.)

Advanced Usage

• "than thân": to bemoan one's own lot in life; to lament one's own circumstances.

  • Anh ta chỉ biết ngồi than thân. (He only knows how to sit and bemoan his fate.)

• "than trời": to complain to heaven; to express a grievance as if appealing to a higher power.

  • Dân làng than trời vì hạn hán. (The villagers lamented to heaven because of the drought.)

Variants and Related Words

• Than đá (n): Coal (specifically mineral coal).

  • Than đá là một nhiên liệu hóa thạch. (Coal is a fossil fuel.)

• Than củi (n): Charcoal (specifically from wood).

  • Chúng tôi nướng thịt bằng than củi. (We grill meat with charcoal.)

• Than vãn (v): To whine, to complain persistently.

  • Cậu bé than vãn về bài tập. (The boy whined about the homework.)

Synonyms

• Noun: Coal, charcoal.
• Verb: Lament, bemoan, complain, moan, grieve.

Related Idioms

• Than thân trách phận: To lament one's lot and blame one's fate; a phrase describing the act of constantly complaining about one's miserable life.

  • Bà ấy suốt ngày than thân trách phận. (She spends all day lamenting her lot and blaming her fate.)

• Than trời trách đất: To blame heaven and earth; to complain bitterly about everything.

  • Gặp chút khó khăn là anh ấy than trời trách đất. (He blames heaven and earth at the slightest difficulty.)

noun

1. coal

verb

1. to moam, to lament