rán

to burn

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

fire (火) + sound rán (然) = to burn

火 anchors the meaning: fire, burning, ignition. 然 is borrowed for the sound rán and does not add meaning here, though it originally depicted meat cooking over flame — a fitting coincidence.

+
FireSemantic
Originally depicted meat roasting over firePhonetic

他划了根火柴,把蜡烛起来了。

tā huá le gēn huǒ chái,bǎ là zhú rán qǐ lái le。

he struck a match and lit the candle.

这场演讲起了大家心中的希望。

zhè chǎng yǎn jiǎng rán qǐ le dà jiā xīn zhōng de xī wàng。

this speech sparked hope in everyone's hearts.

Words with 燃

阻燃

zǔ rán

fire resistant

阴燃

yīn rán

to burn without flame; to smolder

隐燃

yǐn rán

burning with no flame

点燃

diǎn rán

to ignite

乏燃料

fá rán liào

(nuclear energy) spent fuel

乏燃料棒

fá rán liào bàng

(nuclear energy) spent fuel rods

内燃

nèi rán

internal combustion (engine)

内燃机

nèi rán jī

internal combustion engine

内燃机车

nèi rán jī chē

automobile

再生燃料

zài shēng rán liào

renewable fuel

化石燃料

huà shí rán liào

fossil fuel

可燃

kě rán

inflammable

More characters with 火