爆
bào · HSK 6
to quick fry or quick boil
💥 火 fire + 暴 violent = explode; same 'bao' as 鞭炮 firecracker
Left radical 火 means fire; right side 暴 means violent or sudden. Fire plus violent action gives both senses: to explode (爆炸) and to quick-fry on high heat (爆炒). Same bào sound as 鞭炮, firecracker.
爆 — fire 火 + 暴 (violent/sudden, phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound: 火 (fire) gives the meaning, while 暴 (sudden, violent) supplies the sound and reinforces the sense. Originally meant to burst or explode with fire, later extended to any sudden, forceful eruption like popping or bursting.