How to Write 烃 (tīng) — Meaning “hydrocarbon”

Picture a fire (火) burning a long carbon chain — the right side 巠 looks like a string of connected atoms. You can remember 'fire + chain = hydrocarbon fuel.' This ties the visual shape to the chemical meaning.

The left radical 火 must be written as 火 (not 灬) — it is the full fire character, so keep it wide. The right part 巠 has a top horizontal stroke, then 弓 (bow), then two small horizontal lines at the bottom; do not connect these bottom strokes to the bow. Keep the overall width balanced: left and right about equal.

烃 means 'hydrocarbon' and contains 火 + 巠. 灶 means 'kitchen stove' and has 火 under 土 (earth), symbolizing an earthen stove. 灸 means 'moxibustion' (a medical treatment) and has 火 over 久 (long time). Visually, 烃 has a complex right side, while 灶 is simpler and 灸 has a different top part.

烃 is a technical term in chemistry, appearing in words like 烃类 (hydrocarbons), 烷烃 (alkanes), and 芳烃 (aromatic hydrocarbons). It is not common in daily conversation, only in scientific or industrial contexts such as petrochemicals, fuel research, and environmental studies.

Common words containing 烃 include: 烃类 (tīng lèi) — hydrocarbons; 烷烃 (wán tīng) — Alkane; 芳烃 (fāng tīng) — Aromatic hydrocarbon.