涂炭

Traditional form:

塗炭

Pinyin (reading):

tútàn

Definitions:

• extreme distress
• in utter misery

Characters:

• 涂 - to smear, to scribble, to daub; surname
• 炭 - carbon, charcoal, coal

Traditional characters:

• 塗 - to smear, to scribble, to daub; surname
• 炭 - carbon, charcoal, coal