How to Write 熔 (róng) — Meaning “To melt / To fuse”

Imagine a metal container (容) placed over a fire (火); the heat is so intense that the container itself begins to melt and lose its shape. This picture of a melting container links the right side 容 to the melting action, reinforced by the fire on the left.

The left radical 火 (fire) becomes 灬 (four dots) when written at the bottom of a character, but here it stays as 火 on the left, so do not change it to dots. The right side 容 has nine strokes; be careful not to confuse the top part (宀 + 八) with a different component, and write the mouth (口) below it neatly.

熔 (róng) specifically means to melt or fuse solids into a liquid using high heat, like melting metal. 焙 (bèi) means to bake or dry over a gentle heat (e.g., tea leaves), while 焚 (fén) means to burn or set on fire, often destroying something completely. Visually, 熔 has fire on the left and 容 on the right, 焙 has fire on the left and 咅 (pǒu) on the right, and 焚 combines two trees (林) with fire below.

熔 is common in scientific and industrial terms like 熔化 (melting), 熔岩 (lava from volcanoes), and 熔点 (melting point). It also appears figuratively, such as in 熔炉 (melting pot), to describe a place where different cultures or ideas blend together. Chinese learners may encounter it in geography or chemistry texts rather than everyday conversation.

Common words containing 熔 include: 熔化 (róng huà) — To melt; 熔岩 (róng yán) — Lava; 熔点 (róng diǎn) — Melting point.