矿 (kuàng): mine; ore deposit

Measure Word

一座矿 zuò

Meanings

1 mine; ore deposit
2 mineral; ore

Characters

矿

kuang

mine; ore; mineral

Examples

这座矿已经开采了很多年。

Zhè zuò kuàng yǐjīng kāicǎi le hěnduō nián.

This mine has been in operation for many years.

矿泉水来自地下深处。

Kuàngquánshuǐ láizì dìxià shēnchù.

Mineral water comes from deep underground.

煤矿工人的工作很辛苦。

Méikuàng gōngrén de gōngzuò hěn xīnkǔ.

Coal miners' work is very hard.

这里发现了一座金矿。

Zhèlǐ fāxiàn le yī zuò jīnkuàng.

A gold mine was discovered here.

Tips

usage

Common compounds: 煤矿 (coal mine), 金矿 (gold mine), 铁矿 (iron mine), 矿泉水 (mineral spring water), 矿产 (mineral resources), 矿工 (miner).

culture

石 (stone) radical on the left — minerals come from rocks. The traditional form 礦 is much more complex; the simplified 矿 is far easier to write.

Components

radical

石 shí

stone; rock

石 (stone) is the indexing radical. A 矿 is an ore deposit or mine — stone you dig metals out of. The radical anchors the meaning in solid rock. Compare 砂 (sand), 砖 (brick), 碳 (carbon) — all stone-radical mineral words.

phonetic

广 guǎng

broad; shelter

广 (guǎng) supplies the sound, drifted to kuàng. This is the simplified phonetic — traditional 礦 used the much heavier 黃 huáng. The 1956 reform substituted 广 as a clean three-stroke shape, sacrificing strict sound for visual economy. Same phonetic-by-reform sits in 扩 (expand).