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灼热 (zhuó rè) — scorching hot, burning hot

Definition

A literary, intense 'scorching/burning hot' — describes physical heat (sun, metal, flame) felt directly. 炎热 is for hot weather; 火热 can also mean 'passionate'.

adjective
scorching hotburning hot

Examples

  • 灼热。
    Xià tiān de gōng lù bèi tài yáng shài dé zhuó rè.
    The summer road is baked scorching hot by the sun.
  • 灼热，。
    Tā duān qǐ zhuó rè de chá bēi, xiǎo xīn dì chuī le chuī.
    He picked up the scorching hot teacup and carefully blew on it.
  • 灼热。
    Gōu huǒ de huǒ yàn sàn fā zhe zhuó rè de qì xī.
    The bonfire's flames emanated a scorching heat.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

灼zhuóscorching
热rèhot

灼 means scorching and 热 means hot; together they describe intense, burning heat.

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
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
勺
勺sháo灼zhuó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

灼 pairs 火, meaning fire, with 勺, which gives the sound.

Open 灼 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Weather

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