可燃性 (kě rán xìng) — flammability, combustibility

Definition

A technical noun meaning 'flammability' — the property of a material being able to burn. Used in scientific, safety, and industrial contexts (e.g. testing the flammability of a gas).

noun
flammabilitycombustibility

Examples

  • 可燃性，。
    Zhè zhǒng cái liào de kě rán xìng hěn gāo, yào xiǎo xīn shǐ yòng.
    This material has high flammability; use it carefully.
  • 可燃性。
    Shí yàn shì lǐ bù néng cún fàng kě rán xìng qiáng de wù pǐn.
    Items with strong combustibility cannot be stored in the lab.
  • 可燃性。
    Wǒ men xū yào cè shì zhè zhǒng qì tǐ de kě rán xìng.
    We need to test the flammability of this gas.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

可燃flammable
可kěable燃ránburn
偏正Modifier + head
性xìngquality

可燃 means able to burn, and 性 gives the quality.

Characters in this word

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
然
然rán燃rán
Same sound today

燃 adds 火 (fire) to 然 to write “burn”; 然 supplied the sound, and 火 was added to make the fire meaning clear.

Open 燃 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →

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