磷火

línhuǒ
noun

Meanings

  1. 1 will-o'-the-wisp
  2. 2 phosphorescent flame
  3. 3 ignis fatuus

Examples

Yèlǐ féndì shang ǒu'ěr huì chūxiàn línhuǒ.
At night, will-o'-the-wisps sometimes appear over graveyards.
Gǔrén bǎ línhuǒ jiàozuò "guǐhuǒ".
The ancients called phosphorescent flames 'ghost fire'.

Tips

culture
磷火 is the scientific name for the pale flames sometimes seen in graveyards or marshes — caused by phosphine (PH₃) self-igniting in air. In folklore it is called 鬼火 (guǐhuǒ, 'ghost fire') and was thought to be the souls of the dead.

Stroke Order

lín
huǒ