焰 (yàn) - Flame, blaze & fiery, burning

焰Tone 4

yàn ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

妍嬿

焰 · yàn

Flame, blaze;

fiery, burning;

metaphorically for intense emotion or ambition.

Flame, blazefiery, burningmetaphorically for intense emotion or ambition.

Usage highlights

FlameFireworksBlazing fireSparkTorch flameFiery ambition

Synonyms

  • 火— fire
  • 炎— flame, inflammation
  • 燃— burn

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The flames rose high (火焰高涨).
  • His ambition burned like fire (他的野心如焰).
  • Fireworks create brilliant sparks (焰火).
  • The athlete showed competitive fire (竞技之焰).

Collocations

  • Flame(火焰)
  • Fireworks(焰火)
  • Blazing fire(烈焰)
  • Spark(焰星)
  • Torch flame(火炬之焰)
  • Fiery ambition(雄心焰焰)

Idioms

  • Flying蛾扑火(飞蛾扑焰)
  • Flames reaching the sky(气焰熏天)
  • Tongues of fire(焰舌)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, flame symbolizes vitality, passion, and transformation, but also danger and destruction.
  • Used metaphorically in literature to describe intense emotions like anger, love, or ambition.
  • In traditional philosophy, fire represents the Yang element and is associated with summer and south direction.

FAQ