炸

zhà
#974 most
frequent character
explode, burst, bomb, flare up
verb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

炸 uses fire 火 and 乍 zhà marking the sound. It first meant a metal-hardening process: heating metal and cooling it fast. Read zhá, it grew to deep fry; read zhà, it grew to blow up or explode.

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Example Sentences

这个地方经常发生爆炸。
zhègè dìfāng jīngcháng fāshēng bàozhà 。
Explosions often occur in this area.
他在战争中炸毁了敌人的碉堡。
tāzài zhànzhēng zhōng zhàhuǐ le dírén de diāobǎo 。
He bombed the enemy's bunker during the war.
火山爆发的时候，岩浆会炸出地面。
huǒshān bàofā de shíhòu ， yánjiāng huì zhàchū dìmiàn 。
When a volcano erupts, magma will burst out of the ground.

Same Characters, Different Readings

炸zhá
to deep fry, (coll.) to blanch (a vegetable)

Words with similar meanings

爆炸bàozhà
explode
This word is a more formal term also meaning to explode, often used in scientific contexts.
炸毁zhàhuǐ
blow up
Indicates the act of destroying something with an explosion, suggesting a more destructive connotation.

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