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烧毁 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
烧毁shāohuǐto burnHSK 7, unknown, 23 strokes, rank #6839, Very Hard
烧毁shāohuǐto burn downHSK 7, unknown, 23 strokes, rank #6839, Very Hard
shāohuǐ(shao1hui3)shao hui T1
  1. 1to burn
  2. 2to burn down
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March 24, 2026

烧毁(燒燬)shāohuǐ(shao1hui3)

烧毁 (shāo huǐ) means 'to burn' or 'to burn down'. It is commonly used to describe the act of something being consumed by fire, often indicating complete destruction. This term can apply to buildings, objects, or even metaphorical concepts, such as hopes or plans.

Strokes23Frequency#6839DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, fire has significant symbolic meanings, often representing both destruction and renewal. For instance, during festivals like Chinese New Year, firecrackers are used to ward off evil spirits, whereas 烧毁 can refer to the destruction of negative influences.

Memory tip

Imagine a large bonfire (烧) where everything is being reduced to ashes (毁). The character 烧 looks like a flame rising, while 毁 resembles a broken object, symbolizing destruction. Together, they remind you of a fire that completely destroys something.

Meanings of 烧毁

shāohuǐ(shao1hui3)
1to burn
2to burn down
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About 烧毁

烧毁Simplified
燒燬Traditional
23Strokes
—Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

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Podcast: 烧毁

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AI study notes for 烧毁

Quick Contrast

焚烧 (fénshāo) refers specifically to 'to incinerate' and often implies a controlled burning process, while 烧毁 (shāohuǐ) emphasizes complete destruction by fire.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 烧毁 with 烧 (shāo), which simply means 'to burn' without the implication of complete destruction. This term is more formal and may not be commonly used in casual conversation. Typical collocations include '烧毁房子' (to burn down a house).

HSK Study Tips

While 烧毁 may not be in the basic HSK levels, learners should focus on related words like 烧 (to burn) and 灭火 (to extinguish) at their respective levels. Understanding these connections can help deepen vocabulary related to fire and destruction.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 烧毁 with 烧 (shāo) and use it inappropriately. For example, saying '我烧毁了我的晚餐' (I burned down my dinner) is incorrect; the right term is '我烧焦了我的晚餐' (I burnt my dinner).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 烧毁

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Component characters

烧shāoto burn
HSK 510 strokes火
View full entry
毁huǐto destroy
HSK 713 strokes殳
View full entry

How to say to burn in Chinese

“to burn” in Chinese is烧毁shāohuǐ

烧毁 (shāo huǐ) means 'to burn' or 'to burn down'. It is commonly used to describe the act of something being consumed by fire, often indicating complete destruction. This term can apply to buildings, objects, or even metaphorical concepts, such as hopes or plans.

When to use 烧毁

Be careful not to confuse 烧毁 with 烧 (shāo), which simply means 'to burn' without the implication of complete destruction. This term is more formal and may not be commonly used in casual conversation. Typical collocations include '烧毁房子' (to burn down a house).

烧毁 or something close to it

焚烧 (fénshāo) refers specifically to 'to incinerate' and often implies a controlled burning process, while 烧毁 (shāohuǐ) emphasizes complete destruction by fire.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 烧毁 with 烧 (shāo) and use it inappropriately. For example, saying '我烧毁了我的晚餐' (I burned down my dinner) is incorrect; the right term is '我烧焦了我的晚餐' (I burnt my dinner).

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烧
毁

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Frequently asked questions about 烧毁

It's more formal and often used in written contexts, like news reports or safety regulations.

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