Catch fire Meaning in English
expression
Definition
To start burning; to begin to be on fire. It can also mean to become suddenly popular or spread quickly.
Usage & Nuances
Mostly occurs in literal fire contexts, but can be used figuratively ('the trend caught fire on social media'). Not formal, but not slang. Often used with materials ('the paper caught fire'), and in news about accidents or popularity spikes.
Spanish: prenderse fuego - incendiarsePortuguese (BR): pegar fogo - incendiarPortuguese (PT): pegar fogo - incendiar-seChinese (Simplified): 着火Chinese (Traditional): 著火Hindi: आग पकड़ना - जल जानाArabic: يشتعل - يندلع فيه حريقBengali: আগুন ধরে যাওয়া - জনপ্রিয় হয়ে ওঠাRussian: воспламениться - стать очень популярнымJapanese: 火がつく - 急速に広まるVietnamese: bắt lửa - trở nên phổ biến nhanh chóngKorean: 불이 붙다 - 인기를 끌다Turkish: alev almak - çok popüler olmakUrdu: آگ پکڑنا - بہت مقبول ہوناIndonesian: terbakar - menjadi sangat populer
Example Sentences
The curtains caught fire because of the candle.
basic
Be careful, dry leaves can easily catch fire.
basic
The old house quickly caught fire during the storm.
basic
Her idea for the fundraiser really caught fire online.
natural
The engine began to smoke, and then it suddenly caught fire.
natural
The story about the lucky dog really caught fire and was shared everywhere.
natural