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点烟 (diǎn yān) — to light a cigarette

Definition

点烟 means to light a cigarette (or other tobacco), usually with a lighter. It pairs with 一支/一根烟 as the object — not used for lighting candles or stoves.

verb
to light a cigarette

Examples

  • 点烟。
    Tā měi tiān huí jiā hòu dì yī jiàn shì jiù shì diǎn yān.
    The first thing he does after coming home every day is light a cigarette.
  • ，。
    Tā diǎn le yì zhī yān, zhàn zài chuāng qián fā dāi.
    He lit a cigarette and stood in front of the window in a daze.
  • ，点烟。
    Qǐng bāng wǒ yí gè máng, yòng dǎ huǒ jī diǎn yān.
    Please do me a favor and light a cigarette with the lighter.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

点diǎnlight
烟yāncigarette

点 means light and 烟 means cigarette or smoke, so the word is to light a cigarette.

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 點; 点 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
黑黑hēiblack
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn點diǎn(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 點 pairs 黑 (black) with 占 for its sound; the simplified 点 is a later abbreviation.

Open 点 →

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 煙; 烟 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 烟 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (烟) it is 煙; in others it is 菸.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
垔
垔yīn煙yān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

This story is about the traditional form 煙, not the simplified 烟. It pairs 火, fire, with 垔, which gives the sound.

Open 烟 →
Appears in
Alcohol & Tobacco

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