Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 爆炸 | bàozhà |
| 爆發 / 爆发 | bàofā |
爆炸 refers to a physical, violent release of energy, such as an explosion caused by bombs, gas or pressure. In contrast, 爆发 is used for the sudden outbreak of abstract phenomena, such as emotions, epidemics or social movements.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 爆炸 is composed of 爆 (to burst/explode) and 炸 (to blast/explode).
Which one should you use?
While 爆炸 describes physical explosions involving pressure or explosives, 爆发 describes an abstract eruption or outbreak, such as a sudden release of energy in an emotional or social context. Additionally, 爆破 is used specifically to describe an explosion or blasting that occurs in a controlled environment.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, the character 爆 can be used to convey the meaning of explosion.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 爆炸 is versatile and can function as both a noun (an explosion) and a verb (to explode) within a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
bàozhà
Did you know?
- The character 炸 in 爆炸 is also the primary word for 'deep-frying' food. This is because the sizzling sound and bubbling of oil are linguistically linked to the concept of bursting.
- In modern Chinese internet slang, the character 爆 (to explode) is frequently used as a verb to mean 'to leak' or 'to reveal' sensitive information, such as in the phrase 爆料 (to leak news).
- If a Chinese speaker describes a person as 爆款 (explosive style), they are not describing a violent person, but rather a highly popular, 'viral' product or trend.
Examples in context
- 大爆炸致死六人。The huge explosion killed six people.This sentence is useful for describing a fatal explosion.Tatoeba #4844767 by sadhen, translation #804388 by Source_VOA
- 这场爆炸中有三人丧生。Three people were killed in the explosion.This sentence is useful for describing the number of people killed in an explosion.Tatoeba #8463615 by gumblex, translation #8462543 by CK
- 昨晚，烟花厂发生了爆炸。Yesterday, an explosion occurred at the fireworks factory.This sentence is useful for describing an explosion occurring at a specific location.Tatoeba #1694988 by sadhen, translation #1697764 by shanghainese
- 昨晚那个工厂发生了一次爆炸。Last night that factory had an explosion.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Yuting are discussing a news report about an accident.
- 伟 Wei你看到新闻了吗？那里发生了爆炸。Nǐ kàndào xīnwén le ma? Nàlǐ fāshēngle bàozhà.Did you see the news? There was an explosion there.
- 雨婷 Yuting是的，这次爆炸太可怕了。Shì de, zhè cì bàozhà tài kěpà le.Yes, this explosion was too terrifying.
- 伟 Wei希望没有多少人受伤。Xīwàng méiyǒu duōshǎo rén shòushāng.I hope not many people were injured.
- 雨婷 Yuting我也这么希望，伟。Wǒ yě zhème xīwàng, Wěi.I hope so too, Wei.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “explosion” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
