Definition
着火 (zháo huǒ) means 'to catch fire' — something accidentally catches fire by itself. It is intransitive (no direct object), unlike 点燃 (to ignite something) and 点火 (to light a fire on purpose). It is a separable verb (离合词), so parts can split: 着了一次火 'caught fire once'.
verb
to catch fire
Examples
- 着火。Zhè zhǒng zhǐ hěn róngyì zháo huǒ.This kind of paper catches fire very easily.
- 。Nà ge fángzi yǐqián zháo guo yí cì huǒ.That house caught fire once before.
- 着火。Chúfáng chàdiǎn zháo huǒ le.The kitchen almost caught fire.
Browse more HSK 4 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.