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烈焰 (liè yàn) — raging flames

Definition

Literary term for fierce, towering flames — used in writing (news, reports, fiction), not everyday speech. Stronger and more dramatic than plain 火 or 火焰, suggesting scale and danger.

noun
raging flames
Measure word · 片

Examples

  • 烈焰。
    Dà huǒ chǎn shēng le liè yàn.
    The big fire produced raging flames.
  • 烈焰。
    Xiāo fáng yuán yǒng gǎn dì chōng xiàng liè yàn.
    The firefighters bravely rushed into the raging flames.
  • 烈焰。
    Yuǎn chù de liè yàn zhào liàng le yè kōng.
    The raging flames in the distance lit up the night sky.

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.

烈lièfierce
焰yànflame

烈 means fierce and 焰 means flame, giving a fierce flame.

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
灬Written in full as火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
列
列liè烈liè
Same sound today

烈 pairs 列 for the sound with 灬, a form of 火 (fire).

Open 烈 →

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
臽
臽xiàn焰
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

焰 combines 火, meaning fire, with 臽, which provides the sound.

Open 焰 →
Appears in
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