炫

xuàn

火 + 玄

Definitions

xuàn to dazzle; to boast; to show off; (slang) cool; awesome

Etymology phono-semantic

fire

Semantic: 火 Phonetic: 玄

About

The character 炫 (xuàn) is a phono-semantic compound that originally referred to the intense, dazzling brightness of a fire or bright object. Its left side, the fire radical 火 (huǒ), signals the semantic field of light, flames, and brilliance, while the right side, 玄 (xuán), gives the pronunciation. Later, the meaning extended metaphorically to human behavior: to show off, boast, or flamboyantly display wealth, skills, or possessions in order to impress others, drawing a parallel between literal shining and seeking social attention.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他的新车很炫。

Tā de xīn chē hěn xuàn.

His new car is very flashy.

别总炫耀你的成绩。

Bié zǒng xuànyào nǐ de chéngjì.

Don't always show off your grades.

灯光效果非常炫目。

Dēngguāng xiàoguǒ fēichāng xuànmù.

The lighting effects are extremely dazzling.

他喜欢炫技，但不实用。

Tā xǐhuan xuànjì, dàn bù shíyòng.

He likes to show off his skills, but it's not practical.

这款游戏的特效太炫酷了。

Zhè kuǎn yóuxì de tèxiào tài xuànkù le.

The special effects in this game are too cool and dazzling.

她在社交媒体上炫富。

Tā zài shèjiāo méitǐ shàng xuànfù.

She flaunts her wealth on social media.

虚拟世界的色彩炫得让人晕眩。

Xūnǐ shìjiè de sècǎi xuàn dé ràng rén yūnxuàn.

The colors in the virtual world are so dazzling that they make people dizzy.

他用华丽的辞藻炫示，只为博取眼球。

Tā yòng huálì de cízǎo xuànshì, zhǐ wèi bóqǔ yǎnqiú.

He uses flowery language to show off, just to attract attention.

Related Characters

Component: 火

Component: 玄

炫