灼 (zhuó) — to burn, scorch, singe; bright, light (of light or insight)
Definition
灼 is a bound written/formal morpheme meaning 'burning/scorching' (灼热, 灼痛) and 'bright/shining' (真知灼见 'lucid insight'). Never used alone — it only appears in compounds.
bound form
to burnscorchsingebrightlight (of light or insight)
Easily confused
- 约yuēlook-alike(verb) to make an appointment; to arrange to meet
- 啄zhuósound-aliketo peck
- 杓biāolook-alikethe three stars forming the tip of the handle of the Big Dipper (in Chinese astronomy)
- 浊zhuósound-alike(of liquids, air) turbid, muddy, impure
- 钓diàolook-aliketo fish (with a hook and line); to angle
- 的delook-alike(possessive/attribute particle) used after a modifier to indicate possession or attribute
Examples
- ，。Xià tiān de yáng guāng zhuó rè, ràng rén shòu bù liǎo.The summer sunlight is scorching hot, unbearable.
- ，灼。Tā de shǒu bèi rè shuǐ tàng shāng, gǎn dào yí zhèn zhuó tòng.His hand was scalded by hot water, and he felt a sharp burning pain.
- 灼，。Tā tí chū le xǔ duō zhēn zhī zhuó jiàn, lìng rén pèi fú.He shared many true insights, which were admirable.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
灼 pairs 火, meaning fire, with 勺, which gives the sound.
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