沸

fèi

弗 + 氵

Definitions

fèi (verb) to boil

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 弗 represents the sound.

Semantic: 氵 Phonetic: 弗

About

沸 is a phono-semantic compound that combines the water radical 氵 on the left with the phonetic 弗 on the right. Its original meaning is the physical act of boiling: water and other liquids reaching their boiling point, bubbling violently, and turning into vapor under intense heat. By extension, it came to describe any situation of intense agitation or chaotic noise, clamorous crowds, roaring sounds, public uproar, as if transferring the visual and auditory turbulence of boiling water onto human activities.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这杯沸水很烫。

Zhè bēi fèi shuǐ hěn tàng.

This cup of boiling water is very hot.

锅里的水沸腾了。

Guō lǐ de shuǐ fèiténg le.

The water in the pot is boiling.

沸腾的汤容易烫伤人。

Fèiténg de tāng róngyì tàngshāng rén.

Boiling soup can easily scald people.

他烧了一壶沸水来泡茶。

Tā shāo le yī hú fèi shuǐ lái pào chá.

He boiled a pot of water to make tea.

我看到沸水冒出了蒸汽。

Wǒ kàndào fèi shuǐ mào chūle zhēngqì.

I saw the boiling water emitting steam.

在高原，水不到一百度就沸腾。

Zài gāoyuán, shuǐ bù dào yībǎi dù jiù fèiténg.

On plateaus, water boils before reaching one hundred degrees.

化学实验需将溶液加热至沸腾。

Huàxué shíyàn xū jiāng róngyè jiārè zhì fèiténg.

Chemical experiments require heating the solution to boiling.

民众的情绪因这新闻而沸腾。

Mínzhòng de qíngxù yīn zhè xīnwén ér fèiténg.

Public sentiment boiled over because of this news.

Related Characters

Component: 弗

Component: 氵

沸