TongTong
Sign in

白热化 (bái rè huà) — (of competition, conflict, etc.) to become white-hot; to reach a fever pitch

Definition

Used for situations like competition or conflict reaching an extremely intense, fever-pitch stage. 化 marks a process — it has shifted from steady to white-hot, and pairs with 进入 to enter that state.

verb
(of competition, conflict, etc.) to become white-hotto reach a fever pitch

Examples

  • 白热化，。
    Shì chǎng jìng zhēng yǐ jīng bái rè huà le, gè gōng sī dōu zài pīn mìng zhēng duó kè hù.
    The market competition has become white-hot; every company is desperately fighting for customers.
  • ，白热化。
    Biàn lùn dào zuì hòu jiē duàn, shuāng fāng zhēng lùn bái rè huà.
    Towards the end of the debate, the argument between the two sides reached a fever pitch.
  • 白热化，。
    Bǐ sài zài zuì hòu wǔ fēn zhōng jìn rù bái rè huà zhuàng tài, guān zhòng dōu zhàn le qǐ lái.
    The game entered a white-hot state in the final five minutes, and the audience all stood up.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

白热white-hot
白báiwhite热rèheat
偏正Modifier + head
化huàbecome

白热 describes heat glowing white, and 化 adds the sense of becoming that state.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

白 is thought to picture either an acorn or a human head.

Open 白 →

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.

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

Open 化 →
Appears in
Change & Process

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