硝烟

硝煙

xiāoyān

noun #29,682

Meanings

1 gunsmoke
2 smoke from gunfire
3 the smoke of battle

Characters

saltpeter, niter

Examples

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.

硝烟散去后，士兵们清点伤亡。

Xiāoyān sànqù hòu, shìbīngmen qīngdiǎn shāngyáng.

After the smoke cleared, soldiers counted the casualties.

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