硝烟

硝煙

xiāoyān

noun #29,682

Meanings

1 gunsmoke
2 smoke from gunfire
3 the smoke of battle

Characters

saltpeter, niter

Examples

HSK 6

硝烟散去后，士兵们清点伤亡。

Xiāoyān sàn qù hòu, shìbīng men qīngdiǎn shāngwáng.

After the smoke cleared, soldiers counted the casualties.

HSK 7-9

战场上硝烟弥漫，能见度极低。

Zhànchǎng shàng xiāoyān mímàn, néngjiàndù jí dī.

The battlefield was thick with gunsmoke, reducing visibility to almost nothing.

Tips

memory

硝 refers to saltpeter (potassium nitrate), a key ingredient in gunpowder - so 硝烟 is literally 'saltpeter smoke,' the acrid smoke of black-powder weapons.

Stroke Order

硝 xiāo

烟 yān