炎

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flame; inflammation; -itis

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Ideographic compound (会意字)

Two fires 火 burning

Components 火 ×2

inflammation · Heisig RSH #174

火 fire + fireplace

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
西方马脑炎病毒	xī fāng mǎ nǎo yán bìng dú	western equine encephalitis (WEE) virus
东方马脑炎病毒	dōng fāng mǎ nǎo yán bìng dú	eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus
炎性反应	yán xìng fǎn yìng	inflammation response
气管炎	qì guǎn yán	bacterial tracheitis (inflammation of the windpipe, often caused by Staphylococcus aureus)…
日本脑炎	Rì běn nǎo yán	Japanese encephalitis
骨关节炎	gǔ guān jié yán	osteoarthritis
中耳炎	zhōng ěr yán	inflammation of middle ear; otitis media
关节炎	guān jié yán	arthritis
司马炎	Sī mǎ Yán	Sima Yan (236–290), founder and first emperor (265–290) of the Western Jin dynasty 西晉\|西晋[X…
委内瑞拉马脑炎病毒	Wěi nèi ruì lā mǎ nǎo yán bìng dú	Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) virus
炎性	yán xìng	inflammatory (medicine)
细支气管炎	xì zhī qì guǎn yán	bronchiolitis
支气管炎	zhī qì guǎn yán	bronchitis
发炎	fā yán	to become inflamed; inflammation
风湿性关节炎	fēng shī xìng guān jié yán	rheumatoid arthritis
阳炎	yáng yán	dazzling sunlight; glare of sunlight
阴道炎	yīn dào yán	vaginal infection; inflammation of the vulva or vagina; colpitis
皮炎	pí yán	dermatitis
炎热	yán rè	blistering hot; sizzling hot (weather)
炎黄子孙	Yán Huáng zǐ sūn	descendants of the Fiery Emperor and the Yellow Emperor (i.e. Han Chinese people)

These characters use 炎 as their sound component — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
炎 sound part	yán	flame, blaze; hot
谈	tán	to talk, to chat; conversation; surname
淡	dàn	watery, dilute; insipid, tasteless
氮	dàn	nitrogen
毯	tǎn	rug, carpet, blanket
痰	tán	mucus, phlegm, spit
啖	dàn	to feed; to eat; to chew, to bite; to entice
郯	tán	an ancient city; surname
剡	yǎn	sharp, pointed; to sharpen
赕	dǎn	fine, penalty
锬	tán	long spear