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热腾腾 (rè téng téng) — (of food or objects) steaming hot, giving off heat; (of an atmosphere or scene) bustling, lively, hectic; (figurative) brand new, freshly made (of news, products, etc.)

Definition

Three-syllable reduplication meaning literally 'steaming' (literal food heat, a bustling scene, or 'hot off the press' for news). Pairs with vivid scenes, not with 崭新/全新 for describing objects.

adjective
(of food or objects) steaming hotgiving off heat(of an atmosphere or scene) bustlinglivelyhectic(figurative) brand newfreshly made (of news, products, etc.)

Examples

  • 热腾腾，。
    Gāng chū guō de jiǎo zi rè téng téng de, wén zhe jiù xiāng.
    The freshly steamed dumplings are steaming hot and smell delicious.
  • 热腾腾，。
    Zhōu mò de yè shì rè téng téng de, dào chù shì rén hé xiǎo chī.
    The weekend night market is bustling with people and street food.
  • 热腾腾，。
    Zhè xiē zhào piàn shì rè téng téng de xīn wén sù cái, gāng zài fā bù huì pāi dào de.
    These photos are hot-off-the-press news material, just taken at the press conference.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

热rèhot
腾腾steaming
腾téngsteam腾téngsteam
重叠Reduplication

热 gives the basic sense of heat, and the repeated 腾腾 adds a vivid steaming quality.

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.

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.

Open 热 →

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 騰; 腾 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎhorse
Sound part声符shēngfú
朕
朕zhèn騰téng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 騰 pairs 馬 (horse) with 朕 as a sound part; it described a horse's gallop or prance. The simplified 腾 is a later shorthand.

Open 腾 →

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 騰; 腾 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎhorse
Sound part声符shēngfú
朕
朕zhèn騰téng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 騰 pairs 馬 (horse) with 朕 as a sound part; it described a horse's gallop or prance. The simplified 腾 is a later shorthand.

Open 腾 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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