Definition
烧毁 (shāo huǐ) means 'to burn down / destroy by fire' — it emphasizes complete destruction by burning, usually of buildings, documents, or large objects. It is stronger and more specific than 烧 (shāo 'to burn'), which is a general verb for any kind of burning (including cooking). Unlike 燃烧 (rán shāo), which focuses on the process of burning, 烧毁 focuses on the result: total ruin.
verb
to burn downto destroy by fire
Examples
- 烧毁。Yì chǎng dàhuǒ bǎ zhěng gè cūnzi shāo huǐ le.A big fire burned down the whole village.
- 烧毁。Zhèxiē wénjiàn bìxū quánbù shāo huǐ.These documents must all be destroyed by fire.
- 烧毁。Tā shāo huǐ le suǒyǒu jiù de rìjì běn.He burned up all the old diaries.
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