How to Write 爝 (jué) — Meaning “torch; small fire”

Imagine a noble person (爵 sounds like 'jewel') holding a small torch (火). Picture a tiny jewel-like flame that glows but is not very bright — this matches the meaning of a small fire or torch. The visual of a noble with a tiny light helps link the shape to the meaning.

Write the left fire radical (火) first with three strokes, then the right part 爵 which has 18 strokes — pay close attention to the top 爫 (claw) and the bottom 寸. A common mistake is making the fire radical too large, which unbalances the character; keep it slim and aligned with the right side.

Visually, 爝 has the right component 爵, while 爆 has 暴 (with 日 and 共) and 爌 has 广. In meaning, 爝 means a torch or small fire, 爆 means to explode or burst, and 爌 means bright or shining. The different right parts give each character a distinct meaning despite sharing the fire radical.

爝 is rarely used in everyday modern Chinese and appears mostly in classical literature, poetry, or formal writing. The word 爝火 (jué huǒ) can describe a torch or a small, faint light and is sometimes used metaphorically for humble or limited illumination. You may encounter it in ancient texts or in poetic descriptions of dim light.

Common words containing 爝 include: 爝火 (jué huǒ) — torch; small fire; 爝光 (jué guāng) — torchlight; dim light; 萤爝 (yíng jué) — faint light (like a firefly).