Keywords: qing re, 清热, clear heat, reduce internal heat, Chinese medicine heat, TCM, shanghuo, 上火, cooling foods, herbal tea, liangcha, 凉茶, Chinese diet therapy
Summary: Discover the meaning of 清热 (qīngrè), a fundamental concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) about “clearing internal heat.” This page explains how Chinese culture views health through the lens of balance, why you might be told to 清热 (qīngrè) when you have a sore throat or acne, and which “cooling” foods like watermelon or herbal tea (凉茶, liángchá) are used to treat the condition known as 上火 (shànghuǒ). Learn a practical aspect of Chinese wellness that goes beyond a simple translation.
Core Meaning
Pinyin (with tone marks): qīng rè
Part of Speech: Verb-Object Compound (can also function as an adjective)
HSK Level: N/A (Extremely common in daily life, but not on the official HSK lists)
Concise Definition: To clear or reduce “internal heat” from the body according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) principles.
In a Nutshell:清热 (qīngrè) is not about lowering your body temperature with ice. It's a core concept in Chinese folk medicine for restoring balance when your body is in a state of “heatiness” or 上火 (shànghuǒ). This “heat” isn't a literal fever but an internal imbalance that can manifest as symptoms like a sore throat, canker sores, acne, thirst, or irritability. 清热 (qīngrè) is the action of correcting this imbalance, usually by consuming foods and herbs believed to have “cooling” energetic properties.
Character Breakdown
清 (qīng): Clear, pure, or to clean. The left-side radical 氵(shuǐ) represents water, suggesting a process of cleansing or purification.
热 (rè): Hot, heat, or fever. The bottom radical 灬 (huǒ) is a variation of the character for fire, clearly indicating heat.
Together, 清热 (qīngrè) literally and logically means “to clear away the heat,” providing a perfect image of its function in TCM.
Cultural Context and Significance
清热 (qīngrè) is a window into the Chinese philosophy of health, which emphasizes balance (平衡, pínghéng) and prevention. The concept is rooted in the Taoist idea of 阴阳 (yīnyáng). “Heat” (热) is considered a symptom of excess Yang energy. When life's stressors—like eating too much fried food, staying up late, or intense stress—cause this imbalance, the body enters a “heaty” state called 上火 (shànghuǒ). The remedy is to 清热, reintroducing “cooling” Yin energy to restore harmony.
Comparison to Western Concepts: The closest Western idea to “internal heat” might be inflammation. Both can be linked to symptoms like redness, swelling, and pain (e.g., a sore throat). However, they are not the same. Inflammation is a specific, measurable biological response to injury or infection. “Internal heat” is a much broader, systemic concept of imbalance that is diagnosed through observation of the body as a whole (tongue, pulse, symptoms). While a Western doctor might prescribe an anti-inflammatory drug, a Chinese mother would advise you to drink mung bean soup or herbal tea to 清热 (qīngrè). This highlights a cultural focus on diet as the first line of defense for maintaining health.
Practical Usage in Modern China
清热 (qīngrè) is an everyday term used by people of all ages. You will hear it constantly in conversations about health, food, and weather.
Common Situations:
Feeling Unwell: Someone with a sore throat, a cough with yellow phlegm, or a new pimple will often say, “我得上火了, 需要清热 (Wǒ děi shànghuǒ le, xūyào qīngrè)” - “I've gotten 'heaty,' I need to clear the heat.”
Dietary Advice: It's common to describe foods by their energetic properties. For example, “Watermelon is great for clearing heat in the summer.”
Product Marketing: Many herbal teas, supplements, and even toothpastes are marketed with the promise to 清热 (qīngrè). The popular herbal tea brand 王老吉 (Wánglǎojí) built its empire on this concept.
Formality: The term is used in both very informal, colloquial settings (between friends and family) and in formal TCM clinical contexts. The connotation is always positive and related to wellness.
Example Sentences
Example 1:
这种凉茶可以清热解毒。
Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng liángchá kěyǐ qīngrè jiědú.
English: This kind of herbal tea can clear heat and detoxify.
Analysis: A very common phrase. 解毒 (jiědú), meaning “to detoxify,” is often paired with 清热 as they are seen as related functions in TCM.
English: My throat is a bit sore, I need to drink something to clear the heat.
Analysis: This shows a direct cause-and-effect reaction. The symptom (sore throat) leads to the desired action (清热).
Example 3:
夏天吃西瓜有很好的清热作用。
Pinyin: Xiàtiān chī xīguā yǒu hěn hǎo de qīngrè zuòyòng.
English: Eating watermelon in the summer has a great heat-clearing effect.
Analysis: Here, 清热 is used adjectivally with 作用 (zuòyòng - effect) to describe the property of a food.
Example 4:
你最近是不是吃太多辣的了？脸上长痘了，要清热啊！
Pinyin: Nǐ zuìjìn shì bùshì chī tài duō là de le? Liǎn shàng zhǎng dòu le, yào qīngrè a!
English: Have you been eating too much spicy food recently? You've got acne on your face, you need to clear the heat!
Analysis: This is typical advice you might get from a friend or family member, linking a specific food (spicy) to a symptom (acne) and a solution (清热).
Example 5:
中医说我的体质偏热，建议我多吃一些能清热的食物。
Pinyin: Zhōngyī shuō wǒ de tǐzhì piān rè, jiànyì wǒ duō chī yīxiē néng qīngrè de shíwù.
English: The Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor said my body constitution is on the “heaty” side and recommended I eat more foods that can clear heat.
Analysis: This shows the term used in a more formal, clinical context involving a TCM doctor's diagnosis.
Example 6:
绿豆汤是传统的清热佳品。
Pinyin: Lǜdòu tāng shì chuántǒng de qīngrè jiāpǐn.
English: Mung bean soup is a traditional top-quality product for clearing heat.
Analysis: 佳品 (jiāpǐn) means “fine product” or “delicacy.” This sentence highlights mung bean soup's esteemed status as a “heat-clearing” food.
English: After eating hot pot for three days, I feel like I need to thoroughly clear my heat.
Analysis: This shows how 清热 is seen as a necessary counterbalance to indulging in “heaty” foods like spicy hot pot.
Nuances and Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Confusing it with literal temperature. The most common mistake is thinking 清热 means “to cool down.” You wouldn't say “I need to 清热” after a workout. For that, you'd use 凉快一下 (liángkuai yíxià). 清热 is about internal, energetic balance, not surface body temperature.
Mistake 2: Using cold-temperature foods. Ironically, drinking ice-cold water is not considered a good way to 清热 in TCM, as extreme cold is thought to harm the digestive system. The “cooling” property is energetic. A classic 清热 drink like ginger tea is served hot, but ginger itself is considered “warming”! The ingredients in a “cooling tea” (凉茶, liángchá) are what matter, not the serving temperature.
Incorrect Usage:
`INCORRECT:` 跑完步我太热了，我要清热。(Pǎowán bù wǒ tài rè le, wǒ yào qīngrè.) - I'm so hot after running, I need to clear heat.
`REASON:` This is about physical heat from exertion.
`CORRECT:` 跑完步我太热了，我要凉快一下。(Pǎowán bù wǒ tài rè le, wǒ yào liángkuai yíxià.) - I'm so hot after running, I need to cool down a bit.
Related Terms and Concepts
上火 (shànghuǒ) - The condition of having excess “internal heat” that 清热 aims to treat. Literally “on fire.”
凉茶 (liángchá) - “Cooling tea.” A general term for herbal teas specifically designed to 清热.
下火 (xiàhuǒ) - A very common synonym for 清热. Literally “to bring down the fire.”
降火 (jiànghuǒ) - Another common synonym for 清热. Literally “to lower the fire.”
解毒 (jiědú) - “To detoxify.” A function often paired with 清热 in TCM remedies (清热解毒).
热气 (rèqì) - A term for “internal heat” used more commonly in Southern China and Cantonese-speaking regions; synonymous with 上火.
阴阳 (yīnyáng) - The core philosophical concept of dualistic balance upon which TCM and the idea of “heat” are based.
体质 (tǐzhì) - “Body constitution.” In TCM, a person can have a naturally “heaty” or “cold” constitution, affecting their dietary needs.