燃 meaning and stroke order
To ignite, to burn; combustion
How to write 燃, stroke by stroke
16 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 燃
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to burn
- to ignite
- to light
- fig. to spark off (hopes)
- to start (debate)
- to raise (hopes)
How 燃 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Fire.
火 gives the meaning and 然 hints at the sound.
Radical: 火 (fire), shared by 128 characters on this site.
How to remember 燃
燃 is fire 火 placed next to 然 (rán), which gives the sound. Think of it as adding extra fire to 然 to show something burning.
燃 rarely stands alone in speech and mostly appears in words like 燃烧 (ránshāo), 点燃 (diǎnrán), and 燃料 (ránliào). It can also be used figuratively for sparking hope or passion. Example: 他点燃了蜡烛。(Tā diǎnrán le làzhú.) He lit the candle.
Common mistake: Learners often write 然 when they mean 燃, since they sound the same. If the meaning involves fire or burning, you need the extra 火 on the left.
Common words with 燃
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 燃烧 | ránshāo | to ignite; to combust | HSK 4 |
| 燃料 | ránliào | fuel | HSK 4 |
| 点燃 | diǎnrán | to ignite; to set on fire | HSK 5 |
| 燃油 | rányóu | fuel oil | HSK 7-9 |
| 燃放 | ránfàng | to light; to set off (firecrackers etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 燃气 | ránqì | fuel gas (coal gas, natural gas, methane etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 燃起 | ránqǐ | to ignite; to light | |
| 燃烧弹 | ránshāodàn | fire bomb; incendiary device |
燃 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 燃
How many strokes are in 燃?
燃 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 燃 mean?
燃 (rán) means to ignite, to burn; combustion. A common word with it is 燃烧 (ránshāo), meaning "to ignite; to combust".
How do you pronounce 燃?
燃 is pronounced rán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 燃?
The radical of 燃 is 火, which carries the idea of "fire". Dictionaries list 燃 under this radical.
Is 燃 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 燃 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 燃烧 and 烧?
烧 (shāo) is the everyday word for burning, and also means cooking or having a fever. 燃烧 (ránshāo) is more formal or technical and focuses on the act of combustion itself.
What does 燃 mean in internet slang?
In modern slang, 燃 describes something exciting or inspiring, like a stirring movie scene. People say 很燃 (hěn rán) to mean it fires you up.