炎

yán

Definitions

yán (noun) flame; inflammation

Etymology

Combination of two fires (火).

About

By stacking the fire radical 火 twice, 炎 visually intensifies the concept of fire. This doubling suggests a blaze far more fierce than an ordinary flame, evoking the scorching heat of the summer sun, extreme temperatures, and a powerful, all-consuming inferno. Beyond its literal sense, the character is widely used in medical contexts to denote inflammation, capturing the redness, burning sensation, and heat of bodily infections.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

今天天气很炎热。

Jīntiān tiānqì hěn yánrè.

The weather is very hot today.

我的喉咙发炎了。

Wǒ de hóulóng fāyán le.

My throat is inflamed.

医生说他有炎症。

Yīshēng shuō tā yǒu yánzhèng.

The doctor said he has inflammation.

炎炎夏日要注意防晒。

Yányán xiàrì yào zhùyì fángshài.

On scorching summer days, pay attention to sun protection.

他得了肺炎需要住院。

Tā déle fèiyán xūyào zhùyuàn.

He has pneumonia and needs to be hospitalized.

老年人常患关节炎。

Lǎonián rén cháng huàn guānjiéyán.

Elderly people often suffer from arthritis.

这种消炎药效果很好。

Zhè zhǒng xiāoyányào xiàoguǒ hěn hǎo.

This kind of anti-inflammatory drug is very effective.

这种食物可能引起炎性反应。

Zhè zhǒng shíwù kěnéng yǐnqǐ yánxìng fǎnyìng.

This kind of food may cause an inflammatory response.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 火

Example Words