烘托

hōngtuō

verb HSK 7-9 #49,967

Meanings

灯光烘托出浪漫的气氛。

Dēngguāng hōngtuō chū làngmàn de qìfēn.

The lighting accentuates the romantic atmosphere.

绿叶烘托着红花。

Lǜyè hōngtuō zhe hónghuā.

The green leaves set off the red flowers.

usage

Originally a painting technique (using ink wash around a subject to make it stand out). Now used broadly for creating contrast or atmosphere.

memory

烘 (to bake/warm) + 托 (to support) — warming up the background to support and highlight the main subject.

烘 hōng

托 tuō