冒火

màohuǒ

verb #33,044

Meanings

1 to get angry
2 to burn with rage
3 to flare up

Characters

to emit; to give off

Examples

听到这个消息他立刻冒火了。

Tīng dào zhè ge xiāoxī tā lìkè màohuǒ le.

On hearing the news he immediately flew into a rage.

别为这点小事冒火。

Bié wèi zhè diǎn xiǎoshì màohuǒ.

Don't lose your temper over such a small thing.

Tips

memory

Literally 'to give off fire'. Anger as a fire that 'rises out' of you is a near-universal metaphor — Chinese pairs 冒 ('to emit, give off') with 火 ('fire'). Compare 冒烟 (give off smoke), 冒汗 (sweat profusely), 冒泡 (give off bubbles) — same construction.

Stroke Order

冒 mào

火 huǒ