How to Write 燃 (rán) — Meaning “to burn; to ignite”

Imagine a fire (火) under a dog (犬 — part of 然) that is so hot it says "ran!" (rán). The four dots (灬) at the bottom of 然 look like flames, reminding you that this character is all about burning.

The radical 火 on the left changes shape to 火 (with the last stroke becoming a dot) and sits compactly. The right part 然 has 12 strokes; be careful to include the top 月-like shape (actually 肉/⺼) and the four dots (灬) at the bottom, and make sure the left and right sides are balanced.

燃 means "to burn" or "to ignite" and focuses on the fire itself. 煽 means "to fan" or "to stir up" (as in 煽动 to incite) and uses a hand (扌) and a door (扇). 熄 means "to extinguish" (as in 熄灭 to put out) and uses a heart (心) under a roof, implying the fire is calmed or stopped.

燃 is common in technical and everyday contexts, like 燃烧 (to combust) and 点燃 (to light a fire). In modern slang, 燃 can describe something "epic" or "hype" — for example, 这音乐真燃! (This music is lit!), reflecting energy and passion.

Common words containing 燃 include: 燃烧 (rán shāo) — to burn; combustion; 点燃 (diǎn rán) — to ignite / to light; 燃料 (rán liào) — fuel.