TongTong
Sign in

熔化 (róng huà) — to melt (metals, solids at high temperature); to smelt

Definition

A verb meaning to melt or smelt metals and other solids at very high temperatures. The Róng- form is restricted to melting by heat; note the near-homophone 融化 (róng huà), which refers to ice or snow thawing.

verb
to melt (metals, solids at high temperature)to smelt

Examples

  • 熔化。
    Tiě zài gāo wēn xià huì róng huà.
    Iron will melt under high temperature.
  • 熔化。
    Gōng chǎng yòng jù dà de róng lú lái róng huà jīn shǔ.
    The factory uses a huge furnace to smelt metals.
  • 熔化。
    Zhè ge hé jīn zài wǔ bǎi dù zuǒ yòu kāi shǐ róng huà.
    This alloy starts to melt at around 500 degrees.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

熔róngmelt
化huàchange/transform

熔 gives the melting action, 化 gives change, so 熔化 means to melt or smelt.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
容
容róng熔
Same sound today

熔 has 火 on the left, showing fire, and 容 on the right, giving its sound.

Open 熔 →

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

化 shows two person figures, one upright and one upside down, to give the idea of reversal or change.

Open 化 →
Appears in
Physics & Chemistry

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.