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如火如荼

Mandarin · pinyin rú huǒ rú tú

like wildfire (idiom)
unstoppable

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Characters in this entry

如: rú · if, supposing; as if; like, as
火: huǒ · fire, flame; burn; anger, rage
荼: tú · thistle, sowthistle; bitter

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2–3–2–2 · ru2 huo3 ru2 tu2

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

jyu4 fo2 jyu4 tou4

Cantonese word readings for 如火如荼. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(to have) a mighty army like wildfire
(idiomatic) a daunting and vigorous momentum; flourishing; magnificent

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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