yān

smoke

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Components
火 meaning component

  Meaning component

huǒ

  

fire

因 sound component

  Sound component

yīn

  

cause

Evolution

烟 Bronze script Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)

Bronze script

Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
烟 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
烟 Clerical script Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)

Clerical script

Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
烟 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

() 

yān

smoke, soot; opium; tobacco, cigarettes; cigarette or pipe tobacco; CL:[gēn]; smoke; mist; vapour; CL:|[lǚ]; tobacco plant; (of the eyes) to be irritated by smoke

Most common words with 烟
Freq.
Word
Meaning

smoke

抽烟

to smoke (a cigarette, tobacco)

吸烟

to smoke

香烟

cigarette

烟花

fireworks