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激烈 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
激烈jīlièintenseHSK 5, a, 26 strokes, rank #3776, Hard
激烈jīlièacuteHSK 5, a, 26 strokes, rank #3776, Hard
激烈jīlièfierceHSK 5, a, 26 strokes, rank #3776, Hard
jīliè(ji1lie4)ji lie T1
  1. 1intense
  2. 2acute
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March 24, 2026

激烈jīliè(ji1lie4)

The term '激烈' (jī liè) describes something that is intense, fierce, or acute, often used to characterize competition, emotions, or debates. It conveys a sense of strong energy and urgency, making it suitable for contexts involving conflict or passionate discussions.

Strokes26Frequency#3776DifficultyHard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the term '激烈' is often used in the context of traditional sports like dragon boat racing, where intense competition is celebrated and encouraged.

Memory tip

Imagine a fierce dragon (激) breathing fire (烈) in a heated battle. The character 激 looks like a dragon's tail, symbolizing intensity, while 烈 resembles flames, reinforcing the idea of fierceness.

Meanings of 激烈

jīliè(ji1lie4)
1intense
2acute
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 激烈

激烈Simplified
26Strokes
—Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#3776Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L5IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1

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Podcast: 激烈

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AI study notes for 激烈

Quick Contrast

激烈 (intense) vs 猛烈 (fierce) — choose 激烈 when emphasizing emotional intensity or urgency, while 猛烈 often refers to physical force or strength.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include misusing 激烈 in contexts that require a more neutral term; for example, saying '激烈的天气' (intense weather) instead of '恶劣的天气' (severe weather). It's typically used in more formal contexts, such as news reports or academic discussions.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK 5 word, '激烈' connects to other descriptive adjectives like '强烈' (strong) and '剧烈' (violent). Students should focus on using it in phrases related to competition or emotions to understand its context better.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 激烈 with '温和' (wēn hé), which means gentle or mild. For instance, saying '激烈的音乐' (intense music) instead of '激动人心的音乐' (exciting music) is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 激烈

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Component characters

激jīto arouse
HSK 516 strokes氵
View full entry
烈lièardent
10 strokes灬
View full entry

How to say intense in Chinese

“intense” in Chinese is激烈jīliè

The term '激烈' (jī liè) describes something that is intense, fierce, or acute, often used to characterize competition, emotions, or debates. It conveys a sense of strong energy and urgency, making it suitable for contexts involving conflict or passionate discussions.

When to use 激烈

Common mistakes include misusing 激烈 in contexts that require a more neutral term; for example, saying '激烈的天气' (intense weather) instead of '恶劣的天气' (severe weather). It's typically used in more formal contexts, such as news reports or academic discussions.

激烈 or something close to it

激烈 (intense) vs 猛烈 (fierce) — choose 激烈 when emphasizing emotional intensity or urgency, while 猛烈 often refers to physical force or strength.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 激烈 with '温和' (wēn hé), which means gentle or mild. For instance, saying '激烈的音乐' (intense music) instead of '激动人心的音乐' (exciting music) is incorrect.

Write 激烈

激
烈

Practice writing 激烈 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar patterns of 激烈

激烈 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高,not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 3 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.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

言辞____的右翼领袖在会后收敛了他的好战言论。

The fiery right-wing leader toned down his militant statements after the meeting.

Example sentences for 激烈 (14)

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1
言辞激烈的右翼领袖在会后收敛了他的好战言论。

yáncí jīliè de yòu yì lǐngxiù zài huì hòu shōuliǎn le tā de hǎo zhàn yánlùn。

The fiery right-wing leader toned down his militant statements after the meeting.
2
塞尔维亚人和克罗地亚人之间的争斗由来已久,而且非常激烈。

sāi ěr wéi yà rén hé kè luō dì yà rén zhījiān de zhēng dòu yóulái yǐ jiǔ, érqiě fēicháng jīliè。

The quarrel between the Serbs and the Croats is old and bitter.
3
据报道激烈的战斗导致很多人丧生。

jù bàodào jīliè de zhàndòu dǎozhì hěn duō rén sàngshēng。

The intense fighting is reported to have claimed many lives.
4
那意味着几个月的激烈谈判开始了。

nà yìwèizhe jǐ gè yuè de jīliè tánpàn kāishǐ le。

That was the cue for several months of intense bargaining.
5
最近的民意测验预测竞争将会非常激烈。

zuìjìn de mínyì cèyàn yùcè jìngzhēng jiāng huì fēicháng jīliè。

The latest opinion polls are predicting a very close contest.
6
预计地方选举的竞争会非常激烈。

yùjì dìfang xuǎnjǔ de jìngzhēng huì fēicháng jīliè。

There is expected to be a keen fight in the local elections.
7
他能听到希尔顿在同休斯敦激烈争吵时的咆哮声。

tā néng tīngdào xī ěr dùn zài tóng Xiū Sī dūn jīliè zhēngchǎo shí de páo xiāo shēng。

He could hear Hilton's strident voice rising in vehement argument with Houston.
8
那类立法在议会内外都引起了激烈的争论。

nà lèi lìfǎ zài yìhuì nèiwài dōu yǐnqǐ le jīliè de zhēnglùn。

Legislation to that effect created fierce controversy both in Parliament and outside.
9
他们争论得很激烈, 但是谁也说服不了谁.

tāmen zhēnglùn de hěn jīliè, dànshì shéi yě shuōfú bù le shéi.

They argue heatedly, but neither could convince the other.
10
他们把煤价定得太高而被挤出竞争激烈的市场.

tāmen bǎ méi jià dìng de tài gāo ér bèi jǐ chū jìngzhēng jīliè de shìchǎng.

They priced coal out of the competitive market.
11
在这场激烈的足球比赛中,双方都展现出了非凡的实力。

Zài zhè chǎng jīliè de zúqiú bǐsài zhōng, shuāngfāng dōu zhǎnxiàn chūle fēifán de shílì.

In this intense football match, both teams demonstrated extraordinary strength.
12
两位候选人在辩论中展开了激烈的交锋,吸引了大量观众。

Liǎng wèi hòuxuǎnrén zài biànlùn zhōng zhǎnkāile jīliè de jiāofēng, xīyǐnle dàliàng guānzhòng.

The two candidates engaged in an intense debate, attracting a large audience.
13
这次激烈的市场竞争迫使公司提高了产品质量。

Zhè cì jīliè de shìchǎng jìngzhēng pòshǐ gōngsī tígāole chǎnpǐn zhìliàng.

This intense market competition forced the company to improve product quality.
14
在激烈的演讲比赛中,她凭借出色的表现赢得了冠军。

Zài jīliè de yǎnjiǎng bǐsài zhōng, tā píngjiè chūsè de biǎoxiàn yíngdéle guànjūn.

In the intense speech contest, she won the championship with her outstanding performance.

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Frequently asked questions about 激烈

No, 激烈 specifically refers to intense or fierce situations, so it wouldn't be appropriate for calm contexts.

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