热浪 (rè làng) — heat wave (period of excessively hot weather)

Definition

noun

heat wave (period of excessively hot weather)

Measure word · 阵

，热浪。
Jīn nián xià tiān, rè làng xí juǎn le zhěng gè chéng shì.
This summer, a heat wave swept across the entire city.
热浪。
Qì xiàng jú tí xǐng dà jiā zhù yì rè làng lái xí.
The weather bureau reminds everyone to beware of the approaching heat wave.
热浪。
rè làng Dǎo zhì yòng diàn liàng jí jù shàng shēng.
The heat wave caused a sharp rise in electricity usage.

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.

The 热 'heat' and 浪 'wave' build a literal wave of heat.

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 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.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

良

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

浪 pairs 水 (water) with 良, which supplies the sound. The water part points to its meaning of waves.

Appears in