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点燃 (diǎn rán) — to ignite, to set fire to; to ignite (figuratively), to arouse (passion, interest, etc.)

Definition

点燃 means to ignite or set fire to something (a match, a candle, a paper), or figuratively to spark a feeling or interest. Unlike 燃烧 (intransitive 'burns on its own'), 点燃 takes an object — someone lights it.

verb
to igniteto set fire toto ignite (figuratively)to arouse (passion, interest, etc.)

Examples

  • 点燃。
    Tā yòng huǒ chái diǎn rán le zhǐ.
    He lit the paper with a match.
  • 点燃。
    Lǎo shī de gǔ lì diǎn rán le tā de xìn xīn.
    The teacher's encouragement ignited her confidence.
  • 点燃。
    Zhè běn shū diǎn rán le wǒ duì lì shǐ de xìng qù.
    This book ignited my interest in history.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

点diǎnlight
燃ránburn

点 lights something, and 燃 is the result of catching fire; together they mean to ignite.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 點; 点 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
黑黑hēiblack
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn點diǎn(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 點 pairs 黑 (black) with 占 for its sound; the simplified 点 is a later abbreviation.

Open 点 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Change & Process

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