When we talk about putting out a fire in Chinese, we use the word 灭火 (miè huǒ). This is a verb that means 'to extinguish a fire.' It's a very practical term you'll hear in everyday situations, like talking about firefighters or what to do if there's a small fire.
For example, if you see a small fire, you might say '快点灭火!' (Kuài diǎn miè huǒ!), meaning 'Quickly put out the fire!' It's important to know this word for safety and understanding news or instructions.
When we talk about putting out a fire in Chinese, we use the verb 灭火 (miè huǒ). This word literally means “extinguish fire.”
You’ll hear 灭火 in various contexts, from firefighters working to put out a blaze to someone dealing with a small kitchen fire. It’s a very practical word to know.
For example, if you see a fire, you might hear someone say “快灭火!” meaning “Quick, extinguish the fire!” Or, a news report might mention that “消防员正在灭火,” which means “Firefighters are extinguishing the fire.”
So, remember that 灭火 is your go-to word for putting out any kind of fire.
§ Don't confuse 灭火 with other 'put out' words
Many English speakers get confused because 'put out' can mean several things. In Chinese, we have specific words for specific situations. 灭火 (mièhuǒ) is ONLY for extinguishing fires. It's not for turning off a light, or putting out a cigarette in the sense of stubbing it out.
- DEFINITION
- To extinguish a fire.
For example, if you want to say 'turn off the light,' you would say 关灯 (guāndēng). You absolutely cannot use 灭灯 (mièdēng). That just sounds weird and wrong.
请把灯关了。 (Please turn off the light.)
Similarly, for putting out a cigarette, while you might hear people say 灭烟 (mièyān) in specific contexts (like a fire safety sign), the more common and natural way to talk about stubbing out a cigarette is 掐灭香烟 (qiāmiè xiāngyān) or simply 把烟熄掉 (bǎ yān xīdiào).
§ Using 灭火 with the wrong objects
Another common error is trying to use 灭火 with objects that aren't fires. This word is a verb-object compound, with 火 (huǒ) meaning 'fire' already built into it. So, you don't need to add another word for 'fire' after it.
You wouldn't say 灭火火 (mièhuǒ huǒ) – that's redundant and incorrect. It's like saying 'extinguish fire fire' in English.
Here's how to use it correctly:
- Use 灭火 (mièhuǒ) directly when talking about the action of putting out a fire.
- If you need to specify *what* fire, you'd usually say 扑灭 (pūmiè) + specific fire. For example, 扑灭森林火灾 (pūmiè sēnlín huǒzāi - extinguish a forest fire). But 灭火 itself implies the fire.
消防员正在灭火。 (The firefighters are extinguishing the fire.)
Notice how there's no extra word for 'fire' after 灭火. It's already included.
§ Overgeneralizing the meaning
Sometimes learners try to use 灭火 metaphorically in ways that don't quite work in Chinese. While in English you might 'put out a rebellion' or 'put out a rumor,' 灭火 (mièhuǒ) is very literal. It's about physical fire.
For abstract concepts, you'll need different verbs:
- To stop a rebellion: 平息叛乱 (píngxī pànluàn)
- To quash a rumor: 辟谣 (pìyáo) or 消除谣言 (xiāochú yáoyán)
Trying to say '灭火谣言' (mièhuǒ yáoyán) would sound completely nonsensical to a native speaker. Stick to the literal meaning for 灭火 (mièhuǒ).
Examples by Level
消防队员迅速赶到现场，成功灭火。
Firefighters quickly arrived at the scene and successfully extinguished the fire.
迅速 (xùnsù) means 'quickly'; 赶到 (gǎndào) means 'to rush to'; 现场 (xiànchǎng) means 'scene'; 成功 (chénggōng) means 'successfully'.
为了安全起见，我们需要在离开前确认炉火已完全灭火。
For safety, we need to confirm the stove fire is completely extinguished before leaving.
为了…起见 (wèile…qǐjiàn) means 'for the sake of…'; 确认 (quèrèn) means 'to confirm'; 炉火 (lúhuǒ) means 'stove fire'; 完全 (wánquán) means 'completely'.
这场森林大火很难灭火，因为它蔓延得太快了。
This forest fire is difficult to extinguish because it spread too quickly.
森林大火 (sēnlín dàhuǒ) means 'forest fire'; 很难 (hěn nán) means 'very difficult'; 蔓延 (mànyán) means 'to spread'; 太…了 (tài…le) indicates 'too much' or 'too'.
他勇敢地冲入火场，帮助灭火，救出了被困的人。
He bravely rushed into the fire, helped extinguish it, and rescued the trapped people.
勇敢地 (yǒnggǎn de) means 'bravely'; 冲入 (chōngrù) means 'to rush into'; 火场 (huǒchǎng) means 'fire scene'; 救出 (jiùchū) means 'to rescue'; 被困 (bèi kùn) means 'trapped'.
灭火设备在紧急情况下至关重要，必须定期检查。
Fire extinguishing equipment is crucial in emergencies and must be checked regularly.
设备 (shèbèi) means 'equipment'; 紧急情况 (jǐnjí qíngkuàng) means 'emergency'; 至关重要 (zhìguān zhòngyào) means 'crucial'; 必须 (bìxū) means 'must'; 定期 (dìngqī) means 'regularly'; 检查 (jiǎnchá) means 'to check'.
志愿者们齐心协力，终于将山顶上的火彻底灭火。
The volunteers worked together and finally completely extinguished the fire on the mountaintop.
志愿者 (zhìyuànzhě) means 'volunteers'; 齐心协力 (qíxīn xiélì) means 'to work together with one heart'; 终于 (zhōngyú) means 'finally'; 山顶 (shāndǐng) means 'mountaintop'; 彻底 (chèdǐ) means 'thoroughly'.
如果你在户外生火，离开前请务必确保已完全灭火。
If you make a fire outdoors, please be sure it's completely extinguished before leaving.
户外 (hùwài) means 'outdoors'; 生火 (shēnghuǒ) means 'to make a fire'; 务必 (wùbì) means 'must, be sure to'.
尽管努力了很久，但由于风势太大，他们还是没能及时灭火。
Despite a long effort, due to strong winds, they still couldn't extinguish the fire in time.
尽管…但 (jǐnguǎn…dàn) means 'although…but'; 努力 (nǔlì) means 'to make an effort'; 风势 (fēngshì) means 'wind strength'; 太大 (tài dà) means 'too strong'; 及时 (jíshí) means 'in time'.
消防员迅速赶到现场，成功地将大火灭火了。
Firefighters quickly arrived at the scene and successfully extinguished the large fire.
他们用沙土和水试图灭火，但火焰实在太大了。
They tried to extinguish the fire with sand and water, but the flames were simply too large.
在野外烧烤时，务必确保在离开前彻底灭火。
When barbecuing outdoors, be sure to thoroughly extinguish the fire before leaving.
我们应该学习如何在紧急情况下有效地灭火。
We should learn how to effectively extinguish a fire in an emergency.
为了防止火灾蔓延，大家齐心协力地灭火。
To prevent the spread of the fire, everyone worked together to extinguish it.
他勇敢地冲入火场，帮助灭火并疏散人群。
He bravely rushed into the fire, helping to extinguish it and evacuate the crowd.
这片森林大火烧了好几天，救援队一直在努力灭火。
This forest fire has been burning for several days, and the rescue team has been working hard to extinguish it.
请记住，任何小火苗都可能发展成大火，所以要及时灭火。
Please remember that any small flame can develop into a large fire, so extinguish it promptly.
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
他正在灭火。
He is extinguishing the fire.
请尽快灭火。
Please extinguish the fire as soon as possible.
我们需要灭火器。
We need a fire extinguisher.
火势太大，很难灭火。
The fire is too big, it's hard to extinguish.
他们试图灭火。
They tried to extinguish the fire.
灭火是他们的职责。
Extinguishing fires is their duty.
消防员正在灭火。
Firefighters are extinguishing the fire.
如何正确灭火？
How to properly extinguish a fire?
灭火后要检查。
Inspect after extinguishing the fire.
他帮助灭火了。
He helped extinguish the fire.
Often Confused With
This means 'fire disaster' or 'a fire event', not the act of putting out a fire. '灭火' is the verb, '火灾' is the noun.
This refers to 'fire-fighting' as a general concept or 'fire protection/prevention'. It's often used as a noun or an adjective, e.g., 消防员 (firefighter), 消防车 (fire truck). '灭火' is the specific action.
This means 'to burn' or 'combustion'. It's the opposite of '灭火'. '燃烧' is what happens, '灭火' is what you do to stop it.
Grammar Patterns
Idioms & Expressions
"火上浇油 (huǒ shàng jiāo yóu)"
To add fuel to the flames (to make a bad situation worse).
他本来就很生气，你再这样说不是火上浇油吗？(He was already angry, isn't saying that adding fuel to the flames?)
neutral"玩火自焚 (wán huǒ zì fén)"
To play with fire and get burned (to suffer the consequences of one's dangerous actions).
他总是做危险的事情，小心玩火自焚。(He always does dangerous things, be careful not to play with fire and get burned.)
neutral"赴汤蹈火 (fù tāng dǎo huǒ)"
To go through fire and water (to brave all dangers for a cause).
为了救朋友，他赴汤蹈火也在所不惜。(To save his friend, he would go through fire and water without hesitation.)
formal"如火如荼 (rú huǒ rú tú)"
Like a raging fire (describing a vigorous or spectacular development).
比赛进行得如火如荼，非常精彩。(The competition was in full swing, very exciting.)
neutral"炉火纯青 (lú huǒ chún qīng)"
The fire has turned pure blue (to have reached a high degree of proficiency in a skill).
他的厨艺已经到了炉火纯青的地步。(His cooking skills have reached a superb level.)
neutral"煽风点火 (shān fēng diǎn huǒ)"
To fan the flames and light the fire (to incite trouble or discord).
他总是喜欢在背后煽风点火，制造矛盾。(He always likes to stir up trouble behind the scenes and create conflicts.)
neutral"水火不容 (shuǐ huǒ bù róng)"
Water and fire are incompatible (describing two things or people that are mutually exclusive or cannot coexist).
他们两个的性格水火不容，经常吵架。(Their personalities are incompatible, and they often argue.)
neutral"救火队员 (jiù huǒ duì yuán)"
Firefighter (metaphorically, someone who often resolves urgent problems).
他总是公司的救火队员，哪里有困难他就去哪里。(He's always the company's firefighter; wherever there's trouble, he goes.)
neutral"星火燎原 (xīng huǒ liáo yuán)"
A single spark can start a prairie fire (a small force can grow into a powerful movement).
虽然现在力量很小，但星火燎原，未来可期。(Although the power is small now, a single spark can start a prairie fire, and the future is promising.)
formal"引火烧身 (yǐn huǒ shāo shēn)"
To draw fire to oneself (to bring trouble upon oneself).
他这种做法迟早会引火烧身。(His way of doing things will bring trouble upon himself sooner or later.)
neutralEasily Confused
Both '灭火' and '熄灭' mean to put out a fire. The confusion arises because '灭火' specifically refers to the action of *fighting* a fire, often implying a deliberate and active effort, while '熄灭' is a more general term for something ceasing to burn or go out, which can happen naturally or through action.
'灭火' emphasizes the act of fire-fighting, often with equipment or effort. '熄灭' can be used for a fire going out by itself (e.g., a candle burning down) or being put out.
消防员正在努力灭火。(Xiāofángyuán zhèngzài nǔlì mièhuǒ.) The firefighters are working hard to extinguish the fire.
Similar to '熄灭', '扑灭' also means to put out a fire. The confusion comes from the subtle difference in nuance. '扑灭' suggests a quick, often forceful action to put out a small to medium-sized fire.
'扑灭' implies a rapid and decisive action, often by patting or beating the fire. '灭火' is a broader term for any act of extinguishing a fire.
他用毯子扑灭了小火苗。(Tā yòng tǎnzi pūmiè le xiǎohuǒmiáo.) He used a blanket to put out the small flame.
'灭掉' is a more casual and often stronger way of saying 'to extinguish' or 'to wipe out', not exclusively limited to fire. It can sound a bit harsh if used for a small flame.
'灭掉' has a broader meaning of 'destroying' or 'getting rid of' something completely, not just extinguishing a fire. While it *can* be used for fire, '灭火' is more specific and common.
这个国家灭掉了所有反叛势力。(Zhège guójiā mièdiào le suǒyǒu fǎnpàn shìlì.) This country wiped out all rebel forces.
While '灭绝' shares the character '灭', its meaning is entirely different. It refers to extinction, primarily of species or a group.
'灭绝' means to become extinct or to wipe out a species. '灭火' is about extinguishing a fire.
很多动物都濒临灭绝。(Hěn duō dòngwù dōu bīnlín mièjué.) Many animals are on the verge of extinction.
'浇灭' specifically refers to putting out a fire by pouring water or liquid on it. It's a method of extinguishing, not a general term for extinguishing.
'浇灭' specifies the *method* (pouring liquid) of extinguishing. '灭火' is the general act, regardless of method.
他用水浇灭了篝火。(Tā yòng shuǐ jiāomiè le gōuhuǒ.) He poured water to put out the bonfire.
Sentence Patterns
Subj. + 灭火
消防员在灭火。 (Firefighters are extinguishing the fire.)
Subj. + 用 + tool + 灭火
他们用水灭火。 (They used water to extinguish the fire.)
Subj. + 正在 + 灭火
邻居们正在灭火。 (The neighbors are extinguishing the fire.)
Subj. + 把 + fire + 灭了
他很快就把火灭了。 (He quickly extinguished the fire.)
Subj. + 成功 + 灭火
消防员成功灭火。 (The firefighters successfully extinguished the fire.)
为了 + purpose + 灭火
为了安全，我们必须尽快灭火。 (For safety, we must extinguish the fire as soon as possible.)
Subj. + 努力 + 灭火
大家都在努力灭火。 (Everyone is trying hard to extinguish the fire.)
Subj. + 负责 + 灭火
这支队伍负责灭火。 (This team is responsible for extinguishing fires.)
Tips
Literal Meaning
The characters literally mean 灭 (miè) which is to destroy or extinguish, and 火 (huǒ) which means fire. So, 灭火 literally means 'destroy fire' or 'extinguish fire'.
Common Usage
This term is most commonly used for putting out actual fires, like a building fire or a campfire. For example, 消防员正在灭火 (xiāofángyuán zhèngzài mièhuǒ) means 'The firefighters are extinguishing the fire'.
Synonym Note
While 扑灭 (pūmiè) also means 'to extinguish', 灭火 is more common in everyday conversation and for describing the general action of putting out a fire. 扑灭 often implies a more forceful or active effort.
Related Noun
The noun for 'fire extinguisher' is 灭火器 (mièhuǒqì). The character 器 (qì) means device or tool. So, it's literally 'fire extinguishing device'.
Phrases with Fire
Many Chinese phrases use 火 (huǒ) for various 'fire' concepts. Knowing 灭火 will help you recognize the 'fire' component in other words like 火灾 (huǒzāi - fire disaster) or 火柴 (huǒcái - matchstick).
Metaphorical Use (Less Common)
While 灭火 is primarily for literal fires, sometimes in a very informal context, people might say '灭火' to mean 'to calm down a heated situation' or 'to diffuse tension', but this is less common and more idiomatic. Stick to literal fires for now.
Example Sentence 1
我们需要灭火 (wǒmen xūyào mièhuǒ). This means 'We need to extinguish the fire.' Useful if you see a small fire starting.
Example Sentence 2
他正在灭火。 (Tā zhèngzài mièhuǒ.) This means 'He is extinguishing the fire.' The adverb 正在 (zhèngzài) indicates an action in progress.
Opposite Concept
The opposite of 灭火 (to extinguish fire) would be 点火 (diǎnhuǒ - to light a fire). Note the character 点 (diǎn) means 'to light' or 'to ignite'.
Character Breakdown
The character 灭 (miè) has a radical on the left that looks like water, implying water is often used to put out fires. The character 火 (huǒ) is a common radical and independent character for fire.
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsThe most common way to say 'to extinguish a fire' in Chinese is 灭火 (miè huǒ).
Yes, you can use 灭火 for putting out a candle. For example, 你可以用嘴灭火 (Nǐ kěyǐ yòng zuǐ miè huǒ) - You can extinguish the fire with your mouth. This works for small fires too.
No, 灭火 can be used for both large and small fires. While it's commonly associated with firefighters putting out big blazes, you can also use it for smaller incidents.
Both 灭火 (miè huǒ) and 熄灭 (xī miè) mean 'to extinguish'. 灭火 specifically refers to extinguishing a fire. 熄灭 is more general and can be used for extinguishing a fire, a light, or even hope. For example, 熄灭蜡烛 (xī miè làzhú) - to extinguish a candle, or 熄灭希望 (xī miè xīwàng) - to extinguish hope.
Here are a couple of examples:
消防员正在灭火。(Xiāofángyuán zhèngzài miè huǒ.) - The firefighters are extinguishing the fire.
请灭火。(Qǐng miè huǒ.) - Please extinguish the fire. (Often seen on signs).
A very common phrase is 灭火器 (miè huǒ qì), which means 'fire extinguisher'.
While its primary meaning is literal, you might hear 灭火 used in a more figurative sense, for example, to calm down an argument or defuse a tense situation, although there are more specific phrases for that. Stick to the literal meaning for now.
You could ask: 我怎么灭火？(Wǒ zěnme miè huǒ?) - How do I extinguish the fire? Or, 怎么灭这个火？(Zěnme miè zhège huǒ?) - How to extinguish this fire?
For 'to put out a cigarette', you would typically use 熄灭 (xī miè) or more specifically 掐灭 (qiā miè). While 灭火 isn't wrong, it sounds a bit too formal for a cigarette.
The tone of 灭火 is neutral and practical. It's a direct term for the action of putting out a fire, whether it's a small campfire or a burning building.
Test Yourself 42 questions
Choose the correct character for 'extinguish'.
灭 (miè) means to extinguish or put out.
Which word means 'fire'?
火 (huǒ) means fire.
Which phrase means 'to extinguish a fire'?
灭火 (miè huǒ) combines 灭 (extinguish) and 火 (fire) to mean 'to extinguish a fire'.
The word '灭火' means to start a fire.
No, '灭火' means to extinguish a fire, not to start one.
If there is a fire, you should '灭火'.
Yes, '灭火' means to put out a fire, which is what you should do in case of a fire.
The character '火' (huǒ) means water.
No, the character '火' (huǒ) means fire. The character for water is '水' (shuǐ).
This sentence means 'Please extinguish the fire.' The common word order in Chinese is subject + verb + object. Here, '请' (please) is an adverbial.
This sentence means 'They are extinguishing the fire.' '正在' indicates an action in progress.
This sentence means 'The firefighters quickly extinguished the fire.' '很快' (quickly) is an adverb and '了' indicates the completion of the action.
The firefighters are working hard to put out the fire.
Excuse me, do you know where the fire extinguisher is?
It took them several hours to extinguish the forest fire.
Read this aloud:
如果发生火灾，我们应该立刻灭火。
Focus: 灭火 (miè huǒ)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
我看到一个小火苗，想办法灭火。
Focus: 灭火 (miè huǒ)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
大家都知道，消防员的工作就是灭火和救援。
Focus: 灭火 (miè huǒ)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
消防员迅速赶到现场，成功___了火灾。
Contextually, firefighters extinguish fires, so '扑灭' (to extinguish) is the correct verb. '点燃' means to ignite, '引发' means to cause, and '燃烧' means to burn.
如果油锅着火，千万不能用水___，要用锅盖盖住。
For an oil fire, using water is dangerous. '浇灭' specifically means to extinguish with liquid, which is what should be avoided here. '喷洒' means to spray, '熄灭' is a general term for extinguish, and '扑打' means to pat out.
在森林火灾中，及时___火源是防止火势蔓延的关键。
To prevent a forest fire from spreading, extinguishing the source of the fire is crucial. '扑灭' means to extinguish. '寻找' means to search for, '控制' means to control, and '观察' means to observe.
经过消防队员的努力，大火终于被___了。
The context implies the fire was put out by firefighters' efforts, so '扑灭' (extinguished) is the appropriate word. '引燃' means to ignite, '点燃' also means to ignite, and '烧毁' means to burn down.
为了___山火，当地居民也积极参与了救援行动。
'灭火' directly means to extinguish a fire, which is the goal of a rescue operation during a mountain fire. '观看' means to watch, '阻止' means to stop, and '扩大' means to expand.
我们必须学会正确使用灭火器，才能在紧急情况下有效___。
Learning to use a fire extinguisher correctly is for '救火' (firefighting/saving from fire) in emergencies. '点火' means to light a fire, '放火' means to set fire, and '玩火' means to play with fire.
The firefighters quickly arrived at the scene to extinguish the fire.
Using a fire extinguisher is an effective way to put out small fires.
In the wild, never discard cigarette butts carelessly to prevent causing a fire that is difficult to extinguish.
Read this aloud:
如果家里着火了，你会怎么做来灭火？
Focus: 怎么做 (zěnme zuò)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
请描述一次你听说过的关于灭火的紧急情况。
Focus: 紧急情况 (jǐnjí qíngkuàng)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
除了消防员，还有哪些人可能需要学会灭火？
Focus: 除了...还有 (chúle...hái yǒu)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
This sentence describes how a fire extinguisher was used to promptly extinguish a fire. The order follows a logical subject-verb-object structure with an adverb.
This sentence structure indicates that 'under their efforts' (在他们的努力下), 'the fire' (火势) 'was successfully controlled' (被成功控制). This is a common way to express passive voice with a preceding prepositional phrase.
This sentence emphasizes the importance of controlling fire sources to prevent disaster. The first part '控制火源' (control fire sources) acts as a clause, followed by the consequence and its importance.
The firefighters quickly arrived at the scene and successfully extinguished the large fire.
When a fire occurs, first stay calm, then try to extinguish the fire or escape.
They are well-trained and know how to effectively extinguish fires to minimize losses.
Read this aloud:
请你用“灭火”造一个句子，描述火灾现场的紧急情况。
Focus: 灭火
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
如果你在野外遇到小火，你会怎么做来灭火？
Focus: 灭火
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
你认为在家里备用灭火器重要吗？为什么？
Focus: 灭火器
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
/ 42 correct
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Literal Meaning
The characters literally mean 灭 (miè) which is to destroy or extinguish, and 火 (huǒ) which means fire. So, 灭火 literally means 'destroy fire' or 'extinguish fire'.
Common Usage
This term is most commonly used for putting out actual fires, like a building fire or a campfire. For example, 消防员正在灭火 (xiāofángyuán zhèngzài mièhuǒ) means 'The firefighters are extinguishing the fire'.
Synonym Note
While 扑灭 (pūmiè) also means 'to extinguish', 灭火 is more common in everyday conversation and for describing the general action of putting out a fire. 扑灭 often implies a more forceful or active effort.
Related Noun
The noun for 'fire extinguisher' is 灭火器 (mièhuǒqì). The character 器 (qì) means device or tool. So, it's literally 'fire extinguishing device'.
