How to Write 燎 (liáo) — Meaning “To singe / To burn”

Think of 燎 as "a little fire that spreads" — the left side 火 is fire, and the right side 尞 looks like a small flame (like 小) reaching upward. The sound "liáo" can remind you of "lighter," a tool that creates a small burn.

The left radical 火 must be written with three strokes: dot, then the short left-falling stroke, then the long right-falling stroke ending in a flick. On the right side, 尞 has a small 日 (sun) on top and a 小 (small) below — make sure the 小 is clear and not confused with 水 or 氺.

燎 means "to burn or singe directly," often for a small fire. 煽 (shān) means "to fan a fire" or "to incite," focusing on the action of fanning. 熄 (xī) means "to extinguish or put out a fire," the opposite of burning.

燎 appears in the famous idiom 燎原 (liáo yuán) meaning "to spread like a prairie fire," often used for ideas or movements. It is also used in medical terms like 燎泡 (liáo pào) for a blister from a burn, and in 熏燎 (xūn liáo) for smoking or fumigating.

Common words containing 燎 include: 燎原 (liáo yuán) — To spread like a prairie fire; 燎泡 (liáo pào) — Blister (from a burn); 熏燎 (xūn liáo) — To smoke / To fumigate.