Definitions

yān (noun) smoke; vapor; mist
yān (noun) cigarette; tobacco

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character for smoke, "烟", with its traditional form "煙", structurally combines the fire radical (火) with a phonetic component; in the simplified form, the right-hand element is "因", while in the traditional form it is "垔". Etymologically, this construction reflects the association with fire and its emissions, initially denoting smoke from combustion. Over centuries, the meaning extended to encompass tobacco after its arrival in China, and later to cigarettes and various vaporous phenomena.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Spring and Autumn (771-476 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

囱升起。

Yān cóng yāncōng shēngqǐ.

Smoke rises from the chimney.

他抽了一支

Tā chōule yī zhī yān.

He smoked a cigarette.

晚上花很漂亮。

Wǎnshàng yānhuā hěn piàoliang.

The fireworks are very beautiful at night.

有害健康。

Xīyān yǒuhài jiànkāng.

Smoking is harmful to health.

厨房里充满了雾。

Chúfáng lǐ chōngmǎnle yānwù.

The kitchen is filled with smoke.

他戒已经三年了。

Tā jiè yān yǐjīng sān nián le.

He has quit smoking for three years.

雾探测器响了起来。

Yānwù tàncèqì xiǎngle qǐlái.

The smoke detector went off.

山间的晨如同轻纱。

Shān jiān de chén yān rútóng qīng shā.

The morning mist in the mountains is like a light veil.