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热潮 (rè cháo) — popular craze, upsurge, wave (of enthusiasm)

Definition

热潮 (rècháo) names a sweeping wave of public enthusiasm for something (e.g. 滑雪热潮). 潮流 is more about lasting trends/fashion; 热门 is a single hot topic or item, not a broad wave.

noun
popular crazeupsurgewave (of enthusiasm)

Examples

  • 热潮。
    Zhè gǔ rén gōng zhì néng rè cháo zhèng zài gǎi biàn wǒ men de shēng huó.
    This wave of AI is changing our lives.
  • 热潮。
    Qù nián de huá xuě rè cháo xī yǐn le hěn duō nián qīng rén.
    Last year's skiing craze attracted many young people.
  • 热潮。
    Wǎng luò gòu wù rè cháo ràng chuán tǒng shāng diàn miàn lín tiǎo zhàn.
    The online shopping craze is challenging traditional stores.

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.

热rèhot
潮cháotide/wave

热 adds 'hot' to 潮 'tide/wave', forming a metaphor for a surging popular trend.

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 熱; 热 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
灬Written in full as火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
埶
埶yì熱rè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 熱 pairs 埶 with 火 (written as 灬) to show heat, while 埶 gives a sound.

Open 热 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
朝
朝cháo潮cháo
Same sound today

潮 has 氵, the water form 水, on the left to show a water connection, with 朝 on the right giving the sound.

Open 潮 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Society & Public Life

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