火

contributes the sense of fire · Kangxi radical 86

contributes the sense of fire, heat, burning, and by extension dryness, explosion, and cooking

火 began as a picture of a flame: a central tongue of fire rising to a point with smaller sparks or flickers licking up on either side. In the modern shape you can still read that picture — the tall middle stroke and its rightward tail are the main blaze, and the two short slanting strokes on the left and right are the side flames. When 火 sits under another element it is often squashed into 灬, four short strokes standing for the licking flames of a fire underneath. Its presence marks characters about burning (燎, 燔), heat and warmth (燠), drying out (燥), and bursting into flame (爆).

火 at a glance

Meaning

contributes the sense of fire

Strokes

4

Characters

134

Role

Contributes meaning

Kangxi radical

86

Characters with 火 (101 of 134)

Frequently asked questions