Chuánzhǎng náchū xìnhàoqiāng xiàng tiānkōng shè le yì fā.
The captain took out the flare gun and fired one into the sky.
Tips
memory
Transparent compound: 信号 'signal' + 枪 'gun'. The same 枪 you'd see in 手枪 (handgun) and 步枪 (rifle). Covers both flare guns at sea and starter's pistols at races - anything that fires a signal rather than a projectile meant to hit.
