火箭

• Pinyin: huǒ jiàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 火 = pictograph of flames; 箭 = 竹 (bamboo) + 前 (front), arrow made of bamboo

Meaning

Rocket; a vehicle or projectile propelled by the ejection of burning fuel.

Used in aerospace, military, and sports contexts. In basketball, 火箭 also refers to the Houston Rockets team. The term is used both for space rockets and military missiles in general discourse.

Examples

1. 中国的火箭技术在过去几十年取得了举世瞩目的进步。 China's rocket technology has made remarkable progress over the past few decades.
2. 这枚火箭将搭载三名宇航员前往空间站执行任务。 This rocket will carry three astronauts to the space station to carry out their mission.
3. 小时候我就梦想成为火箭工程师，现在终于实现了这个愿望。 I dreamed of becoming a rocket engineer since childhood, and now I've finally realized that dream.

Usage Guide

Context: aerospace, military, sports

Tone: technical

Do Say

• 火箭发射成功了！(The rocket launched successfully!)
• 他是火箭队的铁杆球迷。(He's a die-hard Rockets fan.)

Don't Say

• 用火箭形容人跑得快，如'他跑得像火箭一样' (This sounds unnatural — use 飞 or 风 for speed metaphors instead)

Origin & History

Compound of 火 (fire) + 箭 (arrow), literally 'fire arrow.' Originally referred to fire arrows used in ancient Chinese warfare, later extended to modern rockets.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal