About
The character 烟, representing smoke, is etymologically linked to fire through its radical 火, which in the simplified form is paired with the phonetic component 因. Its traditional counterpart 煙 retains the fire element but places it below the component 垔, which may carry connotations of obscuring or enveloping, mirroring smoke's diffuse quality. Another traditional variant, 菸, used specifically for tobacco, incorporates the grass radical 艹 to highlight the plant's origin. Initially denoting the visible product of combustion, the character's meaning gradually expanded to encompass related phenomena like mist and haze, and later, with the introduction of tobacco, it came to refer to both the plant and the smoke derived from it, reflecting an adaptive semantic journey alongside cultural and material changes.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
烟从烟囱升起。
他抽了一支烟。
晚上烟花很漂亮。
吸烟有害健康。
厨房里充满了烟雾。
他戒烟已经三年了。
烟雾探测器响了起来。
山间的晨烟如同轻纱。