炙手可热
zhì shǒu kě rè
much sought after, hot property; (originally) so powerful as to scorch whoever comes near
Character by character
炙zhì
roast
roast
手shǒu
hand
hand
可kě
can
can
热rè
hot
hot
Example
这位年轻导演凭一部电影走红，如今炙手可热，各大公司都抢着请他拍片。
The young director shot to fame with one film and is now hot property: every big studio is falling over itself to sign him.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
From Du Fu’s poem 《丽人行》, which mocks the overbearing Yang family: their power would scorch your hand. Once a jibe at people with too much power, it is now mostly said of people and things in demand: 炙手可热的明星, 学区房, 拍品. Some dictionaries and exam questions still accept only the old sense, though the new one is everywhere in the media; 抢手 and 热门 are the plain alternatives. 炙 is zhì, “to roast”.
Learn this in Lesson 238 · HSK 9+: 拍卖与赝品 (Auctions and fakes)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
Open the lesson →