加热 (jiā rè) — to heat up, to warm | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

加热 means to apply heat to something — typically food or an object, as in microwaving leftovers or warming a car. It focuses on the deliberate action of heating, whereas 升温 describes temperature rising on its own.

verb

to heat upto warm

Examples

加热。
Qǐng bǎ zhè bēi shuǐ jiā rè yí xià.
Please heat up this glass of water.
加热。
Yòng wēi bō lú jiā rè fàn cài hěn kuài.
Using a microwave to heat food is very fast.
，加热。
Tiān qì tài lěng, wǒ xiān bǎ chē jiā rè yí xià.
The weather is too cold; I'll warm the car up first.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

加jiāadd

热rèheat

加 means to add and 热 means heat, so the word describes adding heat to make something warm.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

力口加

力力lìstrength
口口kǒumouth

加 pairs 力 and 口. In one explanation 力 is strength and 口 is the mouth, meaning exaggeration; in another 力 is plowing effort and 口 is breath or exclamation, meaning extra effort.

Open 加 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 熱; 热 is its simplified writing.

埶灬熱

Meaning part形符xíngfú

灬Written in full as火huǒfire

Sound part声符shēngfú

埶

埶yì熱rè

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 熱 pairs 埶 with 火 (written as 灬) to show heat, while 埶 gives a sound.

Open 热 →