着火

• Pinyin: zháo huǒ
• Hanzi breakdown: 着 = 羊 (sheep) + 目 (eye), in this usage a verb complement meaning to catch or contact; 火 = pictograph of flames, fire

Meaning

To catch fire; to be on fire; to burst into flames.

A verb-object compound meaning to ignite or be burning. Used for buildings, objects, or areas that have caught fire. In informal speech it can describe someone who is very anxious or flustered, though the more common expression for that is 着急. Often appears in news, safety, and emergency contexts.

Examples

1. 厨房里的油锅着火了，幸好被及时扑灭。 The oil pan in the kitchen caught fire, but luckily it was put out in time.
2. 消防员赶到时，那栋旧楼已经着火将近二十分钟了。 By the time the firefighters arrived, the old building had already been on fire for nearly twenty minutes.
3. 他不小心把纸放在了蜡烛旁边，结果纸着火了。 He accidentally left paper next to a candle, and the paper caught fire.

Usage Guide

Context: safety, emergency, everyday

Tone: urgent

Do Say

• 快跑！那边的树林着火了！(Run! The forest over there is on fire!)
• 听说附近一家工厂昨晚着火了。(I heard a nearby factory caught fire last night.)

Don't Say

• 用'着火'形容辣的食物感觉 (Don't say 着火 to describe spicy food — use 辣 or 烫嘴 instead; 着火 implies actual flames)

Origin & History

A compound of 着 (to touch, to contact, to ignite) and 火 (fire). 着 here functions as an inceptive marker indicating the onset of a state — in this case, catching fire.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal