煽风点火

煽風點火

shānfēng-diǎnhuǒ

idiom

Meanings

HSK 4

别在他们之间煽风点火，让他们自己解决。

Bié zài tāmen zhījiān shānfēng-diǎnhuǒ, ràng tāmen zìjǐ jiějué.

Don't stir up trouble between them - let them sort it out themselves.

HSK 7-9

网上有些人专门煽风点火，挑起骂战。

Wǎngshàng yǒuxiē rén zhuānmén shānfēng-diǎnhuǒ, tiǎoqǐ màzhàn.

Some people online deliberately fan the flames to start flame wars.

HSK 7-9

他没有平息矛盾，反而煽风点火。

Tā méiyǒu píngxī máodùn, fǎn'ér shānfēng-diǎnhuǒ.

He didn't calm the conflict - instead he poured fuel on the fire.

memory

Visualize the four characters: 煽 (fan) + 风 (wind) + 点 (light) + 火 (fire). Literally ‘fan up wind, light fire’ - a perfect picture of agitation.

Always negative. Describes someone who provokes or escalates a conflict from the side, not someone openly fighting.

煽 shān

风 fēng

点 diǎn

火 huǒ