余热 (yú rè) — surplus heat; fig. post-retirement contributions (energy, skills, accomplishments)

Definition

Literally 'surplus heat', 余热 is used literally (waste heat recovered for heating) and figuratively to mean the energy, skills, or contributions a retiree still has to offer society.

noun
surplus heatfig. post-retirement contributions (energy, skills, accomplishments)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 余热。
    Hěn duō tuì xiū de zhuān jiā hái xiǎng wéi shè huì fā huī yú rè.
    Many retired experts still want to contribute their remaining energy to society.
  • ，余热。
    Tā tuì xiū hòu méi yǒu xián zhe, lì yòng yú rè zài shè qū xué xiào jiāo shū.
    He is not idle after retirement; he uses his remaining energy to teach at a community school.
  • 余热。
    Gōng chǎng cóng shēng chǎn guò chéng zhōng huí shōu yú rè yòng yú gōng nuǎn.
    The factory recovers waste heat from the production process for heating.

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.

余yúremaining
热rèheat

余 (remaining) and 热 (heat) together mean leftover heat or post-retirement energy.

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 餘; 余 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
食食shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
余
余yú餘Yú
Same sound today

The traditional form 餘 pairs 食 (food) with 余 as its sound part; the simplified 余 is a later abbreviation.

Open 余 →

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 →

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