TongTong
Sign in

壮烈 (zhuàng liè) — heroic and tragic; valiant to the point of death or great sacrifice

Definition

Highlights a death or sacrifice as both heroic and tragic — stronger and more solemn than 勇敢 or 英勇, which lack the 'tragic' element. Used almost exclusively for martyrs, fallen soldiers, or sacrifices for a cause.

adjective
heroic and tragicvaliant to the point of death or great sacrifice

Examples

  • 壮烈。
    Tā zài zhàn chǎng shàng zhuàng liè dì xī shēng le.
    He died a heroic death on the battlefield.
  • 壮烈。
    Nà cì zhàn yì dǎ dé fēi cháng zhuàng liè.
    That battle was fought with extraordinary heroism and tragedy.
  • 壮烈。
    Tā men wèi bǎo wèi guó jiā zhuàng liè dì xiàn chū le shēng mìng.
    They gave their lives heroically to defend their country.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

壮zhuàngstrong
烈lièfierce

壮 and 烈 both convey strength and fierce spirit, together describing heroic sacrifice.

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 壯; 壮 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
士士shì
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán壯zhuàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 壯 uses 士 to hint at the meaning and 爿 for the sound; the simplified 壮 is a later abbreviation.

Open 壮 →

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
灬Written in full as火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
列
列liè烈liè
Same sound today

烈 pairs 列 for the sound with 灬, a form of 火 (fire).

Open 烈 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Personality & Traits

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