TongTong
Sign in

烧灼 (shāo zhuó) — to burn, to scorch, to singe; (medicine) to cauterize

Definition

Literate, medical-leaning verb meaning 'to scorch / cauterize' — stronger and more formal than the everyday 烧, often used for laser cauterization or intense heat burning tissue.

verb
to burnto scorchto singe(medicine) to cauterize

Examples

  • 烧灼。
    Huǒ yàn shāo zhuó le tā de pí fū.
    The flames scorched his skin.
  • 烧灼。
    Yī shēng yòng jī guāng shāo zhuó shāng kǒu zhǐ xuè.
    The doctor used a laser to cauterize the wound and stop the bleeding.
  • 烧灼，。
    Liè rì shāo zhuó zhe dà dì, cùn cǎo bù shēng.
    The scorching sun burned the earth, leaving no grass alive.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

烧shāoburn
灼zhuóscorch

烧灼" combines "烧" (burn) and "灼" (scorch), meaning to burn or scorch.

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 燒; 烧 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
堯
堯yáo燒shāo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 燒 pairs 火 (fire) with 堯, which supplies the sound; the simplified 烧 is a shorthand.

Open 烧 →

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 →
Appears in
Medicine & Treatment

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.