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导火线 (dǎo huǒ xiàn) — (blasting) fuse, fuse cord; (figurative) trigger, direct cause, spark that sets off a larger event

Definition

Literally a 'fuse' for explosives; figuratively a small incident that sparks a much larger conflict. A direct cause of something big, not the underlying reason.

noun
(blasting) fusefuse cord(figurative) trigger, direct cause, spark that sets off a larger event
Measure word · 根

Examples

  • 导火线。
    Gōng rén bào pò qián yào jiē hǎo dǎo huǒ xiàn.
    Workers need to connect the fuse before blasting.
  • 导火线。
    Zhè ge shì jiàn shì yǐn fā zhàn zhēng de dǎo huǒ xiàn.
    This incident was the fuse that triggered the war.
  • 导火线。
    Zī yuán zhēng duó chéng le zhè chǎng chōng tū de dǎo huǒ xiàn.
    The dispute over resources became the fuse for the conflict.

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.

导火lead fire
导dǎolead火huǒfire
动宾Verb + object
线xiànline

导 means lead, 火 means fire, and 线 means line or cord; it names a cord that leads a flame.

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 導; 导 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
寸寸cùnhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
道
道dào導
Same sound today

The traditional form 導 pairs 道 (path) as the sound part with 寸 (hand), giving the sense of leading someone. The simplified 导 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 导 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

火 is a simple drawing of a fire, with flames shown rising upward.

Open 火 →

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 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
泉
泉quán線xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

Open 线 →
Appears in
Cause, Effect & Logic

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