熄 xī to extinguish
to extinguish; to put out; to quench
怎么记住“熄”: 火 fire + 息 breath = to extinguish. Grandma leans over the little fire on each of her ninety candles and takes one huge breath to extinguish them all.
部件结构
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
熄 = 火 fire + 息 breath
- 火 fire meaning
- 息 breath sound
- 自 self
- 心 heart
Grandma leans over the little fire on each of her ninety candles and takes one huge breath to extinguish them all.
How it came to be
Fire gives the meaning and the breath the sound; the word first meant to keep a fire alive, and also to put it out.
用法
- To extinguish / go out (of fire, light): 熄灭 (xīmiè) to put out/die out, 熄火 (xīhuǒ) an engine stalling or a fire going out, 熄灯 (xīdēng) lights-out.
- Also figurative: 怒火渐渐熄灭 (nùhuǒ jiànjiàn xīmiè) anger gradually dying down.