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March 24, 2026
燃rán(ran2)
The character 燃 (rán) means 'to burn' or 'to ignite.' It is commonly used in contexts involving combustion, such as lighting a fire or starting a stove. Additionally, it can figuratively refer to sparking ideas, hopes, or debates.
Strokes16Radical火Frequency#9947DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, fire is associated with warmth, family gatherings, and festivals. For instance, during the Lantern Festival, people light lanterns, symbolizing the igniting of hopes for the new year.
Memory Tip
Imagine a candle (the 火 radical for fire) that ignites (燃) your hopes and dreams, creating a warm glow in a dark room. The pronunciation 'rán' sounds like 'ran,' which you might do to catch a flame before it extinguishes.
Meanings of 燃
rán(ran2)
1to burn
2to ignite
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 燃
燃Simplified
16Strokes
火Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#9947Frequency Rank
Podcast: 燃
Podcast: 燃
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AI Study Notes for 燃
Quick Contrast
燃 (rán) vs 点 (diǎn) — use 燃 for the act of burning or igniting, while 点 refers specifically to the act of lighting a fire or candle.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 燃 (rán) with 熱 (rè), which means 'hot.' 燃 is often used in more formal contexts, while everyday terms for lighting a fire may be less formal. Common collocations include 燃烧 (ránshāo, to burn) and 燃气 (rángqì, gas).
HSK Study Tips
Although 燃 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects well with other HSK words related to fire and energy, such as 火 (huǒ, fire) and 热 (rè, hot). Students should focus on the context of combustion and its figurative meanings.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 燃 with its synonyms like 点燃 (diǎnrán, to light) or 燃烧 (ránshāo, to burn). For example, saying '我燃我的书' (Wǒ rán wǒ de shū) instead of '我点燃我的书' (Wǒ diǎnrán wǒ de shū) is incorrect, as it implies you are burning your book rather than lighting it.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 燃
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Phonosemantic compound. 火 represents the meaning and 然 represents the sound.
1The meaning half火 carries the sense.
2The sound half然 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayfire
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 燃? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 燃?
Decomposition of 燃
IDS Structure⿰火然
燃Full Character
=
火Huo3
left
然ran2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 燃?
How to say to burn in Chinese
“to burn” in Chinese is燃rán
The character 燃 (rán) means 'to burn' or 'to ignite.' It is commonly used in contexts involving combustion, such as lighting a fire or starting a stove. Additionally, it can figuratively refer to sparking ideas, hopes, or debates.
When to use 燃
Be careful not to confuse 燃 (rán) with 熱 (rè), which means 'hot.' 燃 is often used in more formal contexts, while everyday terms for lighting a fire may be less formal. Common collocations include 燃烧 (ránshāo, to burn) and 燃气 (rángqì, gas).
燃 or something close to it
燃 (rán) vs 点 (diǎn) — use 燃 for the act of burning or igniting, while 点 refers specifically to the act of lighting a fire or candle.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 燃 with its synonyms like 点燃 (diǎnrán, to light) or 燃烧 (ránshāo, to burn). For example, saying '我燃我的书' (Wǒ rán wǒ de shū) instead of '我点燃我的书' (Wǒ diǎnrán wǒ de shū) is incorrect, as it implies you are burning your book rather than lighting it.
Write 燃
燃
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Grammar Patterns of 燃
燃 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 7 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
