苍生涂炭

Traditional form:

蒼生塗炭

Pinyin (reading):

cāngshēngtútàn

Definitions:

• the common people in a miserable state

Characters:

• 苍 - dark blue; deep green; old, hoary
• 生 - life, lifetime; birth; growth
• 涂 - to smear, to scribble, to daub; surname
• 炭 - carbon, charcoal, coal

Traditional characters:

• 蒼 - dark blue; deep green; old, hoary
• 生 - life, lifetime; birth; growth
• 塗 - to smear, to scribble, to daub; surname
• 炭 - carbon, charcoal, coal