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热量 (rè liàng) — heat (as physical energy); calorie content (in food)

Definition

热量 refers to heat as a measurable quantity of energy — in physics, and most often in daily life, the calorie content of food. The adjective 热 just means 'hot'; 热量 is the noun for heat energy or calories.

noun
heat (as physical energy)calorie content (in food)

Examples

  • 热量。
    Zhè zhǒng cái liào néng xī shōu dà liàng rè liàng.
    This material can absorb a large amount of heat.
  • 热量，。
    Zhè ge qiǎo kè lì rè liàng hěn gāo, bù néng duō chī.
    This chocolate is high in calories — don't eat too much.
  • 热量。
    Pǎo bù kě yǐ xiāo hào hěn duō rè liàng.
    Running can burn a lot of calories.

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rèheat
量liángamount; quantity

热 refers to heat and 量 to amount, together meaning quantity of heat.

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 →

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

  • 日日rìsun
  • 東東dōngbag; east

量 has 日 (sun) over 東 (bag; east). Some explanations suggest measuring under the sun or the sun rising in the east, but the exact origin is unclear.

Open 量 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5Fitness & ExercisePhysics & Chemistry

Browse more HSK 5 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.