矿 (kuàng): mine; ore deposit

Measure Word

一座矿 zuò

Meanings

1 mine; ore deposit
2 mineral; ore

Characters

矿

kuàng

mine; ore; mineral

Examples

HSK 3

这里发现了一座金矿。

Zhèlǐ fāxiàn le yī zuò jīnkuàng.

A gold mine was discovered here.

HSK 5

矿泉水来自地下深处。

Kuàngquánshuǐ láizì dìxià shēnchù.

Mineral water comes from deep underground.

HSK 7-9

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.

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).