烟花

• Pinyin: yān huā
• Hanzi breakdown: 烟 = 火 (fire) + 因 (cause), meaning smoke; 花 = 艹 (grass) + 化 (change), meaning flower

Meaning

Fireworks. Explosive devices that produce colorful displays of light and sound.

Fireworks are central to Chinese New Year and other celebrations. Also used poetically for fleeting beauty (烟花易冷). In classical literature, 烟花 could refer to the pleasure quarters or courtesans. Common phrases: 放烟花 (set off fireworks), 烟花表演 (fireworks show).

Examples

1. 今年春节城里禁止燃放烟花爆竹。 This year the city banned fireworks during Spring Festival.
2. 那场跨年烟花表演持续了整整二十分钟。 That New Year's Eve fireworks show lasted a full twenty minutes.
3. 孩子们兴奋地看着夜空中绽放的烟花。 The children excitedly watched the fireworks blooming in the night sky.

Usage Guide

Context: celebrations, festivals, entertainment

Tone: festive

Do Say

• 我们一起去看烟花吧。(Let's go watch the fireworks together.)
• 除夕夜的烟花特别漂亮。(The fireworks on New Year's Eve are especially beautiful.)

Don't Say

• 开烟花 — 应说'放烟花'或'燃放烟花'，不说'开'

Origin & History

Compound of 烟 (smoke) + 花 (flower). Poetically describing the smoke-flowers that bloom in the sky.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal