Phono-semantic compound:
火 (fire) – semantic element, symbolizing heat, burning, intensity.
列 (arrange, line up) – phonetic element, lending sound;
The image conveys blazing flames arranged in order, emphasizing strength, intensity, or ferocity.

Semantic range:
- burning, blazing heat;
- ferocious, violent force (storms, battle, emotion);
- ardent spirit, strong will;
- noble sacrifice (later extended to loyal martyrs, 烈士);

열렬 (熱烈) – passionate, fervent
격렬 (激烈) – intense, violent
장렬 (壯烈) – heroic, glorious (often in sacrifice)
치열 (熾烈) – fierce, severe
열사 (烈士) – martyr, patriot

Characters

Words

Vocabulary

full, filled, to fill, to satisfy, abundance, satisfaction

to fish, to catch fish, to angle, to gather aquatic life

to drift, to float, to wander, to move about, to wash, to rinse (as in laundry)

to spread out, to extend, to perform, to act, to explain, to expound, to evolve, to develop

Sino-, China

pond, marsh, swamp, moist, damp, glistening, benefit, favor, grace

wave, billow, surging water

disaster, calamity, catastrophe, fire, conflagration

fierce, intense, violent, strong, severe, vehement, ardent, passionate

to not have, none, nothing

so, thus, in that way

to simmer, to decoct, to fry

to be cooked, ripe, done, to ripen, mature, to be skilled, practiced, familiar

to contend, struggle, quarrel, to compete, vie for, to argue, dispute

to do, to act, to become, to turn into, for the sake of, on behalf of

thing, object, matter, “something, stuff” in general usage

to pull, to lead

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Explore the meaning, etymology and usage of this Chinese character. Learn its radical and how it is applied in Korean language.

Chinese character

Explore 214 Chinese radicals and their derived characters. Sort by radical or stroke count, and view the complete list of official Hanja radicals.

Chinese characters (Hanja)

Chinese characters dictionary

烈

Etymology

Usage in Korean

Characters next to each other in the list

References