燃

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to burn; to ignite; to light; fig. to spark off (hopes); to start (debate); to raise (hopes)

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

火 meaning “fire” + 然 sound ( rán )

Components 火然

ignite · Heisig RSH #1591

火 fire + 然 sort of thing

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

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

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
内燃机车	nèi rán jī chē	diesel locomotive
核燃料后处理	hé rán liào hòu chǔ lǐ	nuclear fuel reprocessing
生物燃料	shēng wù rán liào	biofuel
化石燃料	huà shí rán liào	fossil fuel
燃气轮机	rán qì lún jī	gas turbine
可燃性	kě rán xìng	flammable; flammability
内燃机	nèi rán jī	internal combustion engine
易燃物品	yì rán wù pǐn	flammable articles
燃油车	rán yóu chē	fuel-powered car; internal-combustion vehicle
死灰复燃	sǐ huī fù rán	lit. ashes burn once more (idiom); fig. sb lost returns to have influence; sth malevolent …
燃素说	rán sù shuō	phlogiston theory
易燃物	yì rán wù	flammable substance
燃气电厂	rán qì diàn chǎng	gas fired power station
可燃冰	kě rán bīng	clathrate hydrates
燃料油	rán liào yóu	fuel oil
燃料电池	rán liào diàn chí	fuel cell
燃眉之急	rán méi zhī jí	lit. the fire burns one's eyebrows (idiom); fig. desperate situation; extreme emergency
自燃	zì rán	spontaneous combustion
再生燃料	zài shēng rán liào	renewable fuel
燃气	rán qì	fuel gas (coal gas, natural gas, methane etc)