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打得火热 (dǎ de huǒ rè) — (idiom) to be very close, often romantically involved; to be thick as thieves

Definition

A vivid 成语 for two people getting along extremely well — often romantically, but also for new friends who click instantly. Literally 'beating (it) hot as fire'.

idiom
to be very closeoften romantically involvedto be thick as thieves

Examples

  • 打得火热，。
    Tā men liǎng gè rén zuì jìn dǎ de huǒ rè, měi tiān dōu zài yì qǐ.
    The two of them have been very close recently, spending every day together.
  • 打得火热，。
    Tīng shuō xiǎo wáng hé xiǎo lǐ dǎ de huǒ rè, kě néng yǐ jīng zài tán liàn ài le.
    I heard that Xiao Wang and Xiao Li are very close, maybe already dating.
  • 打得火热，。
    Gāng rèn shi nà jǐ tiān tā men jiù dǎ de huǒ rè, xiàng lǎo péng you yí yàng.
    In the first few days after meeting, they became very close, like old friends.

Origin

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng打dǎ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

打 uses 扌, a hand, to show an action done with the hand, and 丁 to give the sound.

Open 打 →

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

The old form 㝵 showed a hand picking up a cowry, meaning to obtain; later changes turned that picture into 得.

Open 得 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

火 is a simple drawing of a fire, with flames shown rising upward.

Open 火 →

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.

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 →
Appears in
Friends & SocialIdioms & Set Phrases

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