炎 (yán) — scorching hot (used in compounds like 炎热); inflammation (used in compounds like 炎症, 发炎)

Definition

Bound morpheme meaning 'scorching heat' or 'inflammation'. It almost never stands alone — it appears in compounds like 炎热 (scorching hot weather) and 炎症 / 发炎 (inflammation in medical contexts).

bound form
scorching hot (used in compounds like 炎热)inflammation (used in compounds like 炎症, 发炎)
Easily confused

Examples

  • ，。
    Xià tiān, wài miàn yán rè dé ràng rén shòu bù liǎo.
    In summer, it's so scorching hot outside that people can't stand it.
  • ，。
    Yī shēng shuō tā shēn tǐ lǐ yǒu yán zhèng, xū yào zhì liáo.
    The doctor said there is inflammation in his body that needs treatment.
  • ，。
    Wǒ de hóu long fā yán le, shuō huà hěn téng.
    My throat is inflamed, and it hurts to speak.

Origin

Compound ideograph
六书liùshū
会意huìyì

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

炎 places two 火 (fire) shapes vertically, one above the other, to show fire doubled.

Appears in
Illness & Symptoms

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