Definition
星火 literally means 'star fire' — a tiny spark or a shooting star. It's used in two main contexts: literally, for a small spark or meteor; and metaphorically, for something small that can grow into something big (especially in the phrase 星火燎原 'a single spark can start a prairie fire', a famous Mao-era slogan). It also appears in the set phrase 急如星火 to describe something extremely urgent. The word carries rich cultural and historical weight beyond just 'spark'.
n.
sparksmall fireshooting starmeteorvery urgent matter (in set phrases)
Examples
- 星火，。xīng huǒ suī xiǎo, què kěyǐ liáo yuán.A single spark, though small, can start a prairie fire.
- 星火，。Zhè jiàn shì jí rú xīng huǒ, bìxū mǎshàng chǔlǐ.This matter is extremely urgent — it must be dealt with immediately.
- 星火，。Yèkōng zhōng huá guò yí dào xīng huǒ, zhuǎnshùn jí shì.A shooting star streaked across the night sky and vanished in an instant.
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