燃 (rán) — to burn; to ignite
Definition
Literary/formal verb meaning 'to burn' or 'to ignite' — used in writing, news, and set phrases like 燃烧 and 燃放 fireworks. In everyday speech, 点 (dian, light/ignite) is more common.
verb
to burnto ignite
Examples
- 。Huǒ shì hěn kuài rán shāo qǐ lái le.The fire soon started burning.
- 。Ào yùn huì kāi mù shì shàng rán fàng le yān huā.Fireworks were set off at the Olympic opening ceremony.
- 。Tā diǎn rán le yì zhī yān.He lit a cigarette.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
燃 adds 火 (fire) to 然 to write “burn”; 然 supplied the sound, and 火 was added to make the fire meaning clear.
Appears in
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