炎热 (yán rè) — blistering hot; scorching hot (weather or clima…

Definition

炎热 describes hot weather or climate, stronger than 热. Unlike 闷热, it emphasizes intense heat (often dry); 闷热 focuses on humid, stuffy air.

adjective

blistering hotscorching hot (weather or climate)

炎热。
Zhè ge chéng shì de xià tiān shí fēn yán rè.
The summer in this city is extremely hot.
炎热。
yán rè De qì hòu ràng rén bù xiǎng chū mén.
The scorching weather makes people not want to go out.
炎热，。
Zài yán rè de shā mò lǐ, shuǐ fēi cháng zhòng yào.
In the scorching hot desert, water is very important.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

炎yánburning heat

“炎热” joins “炎” (burning heat) and “热” (hot), meaning scorching heat.

Characters in this word

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

火火炎

炎 places two 火 (fire) shapes vertically, one above the other, to show fire doubled.

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.

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