生灵涂炭
Traditional form:
生靈塗炭
Pinyin (reading):
shēnglíngtútàn
Definitions:
- people are in a terrible situation (idiom)
Characters:
- 生 - life, lifetime; birth; growth
- 灵 - spirit, soul; spiritual world
- 涂 - to smear, to scribble, to daub; surname
- 炭 - carbon, charcoal, coal
Traditional characters: