火

火 U+706B, 火 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-706B ← 灪 [U+706A] CJK Unified Ideographs 灬 → [U+706C]

⽕ U+2F55, ⽕ KANGXI RADICAL FIRE ← ⽔ [U+2F54] Kangxi Radicals ⽖ → [U+2F56]

Stroke order

• 灬 (when used as a bottom Chinese radical)

Stroke order

火 (Kangxi radical 86, 火+0, 4 strokes, cangjie input 火 (F), four-corner 9080₀, composition ⿻⿰丿丿人(GJKV) or ⿻丷人(HT))

1. Kangxi radical #86, ⽕.

• Appendix:Chinese radical/火
• 伙, 吙, 狄, 阦, 疢, 秋, 耿, 鈥(钬), 邩, 畑, 秌, 烙, 䙺, 䲴
• 灰, 苂, 荧, 羙, 䎡, 䙳, 倐, 齌, 䀆, 㴴, 燮

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 665, character 1
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 18850
• Dae Jaweon: page 1073, character 19
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 2187, character 1
• Unihan data for U+706B

trad.		火
simp. #		火

Pictogram (象形) – pictographic representation of a fire. Written as 灬 when at the bottom of a character, but still seen in the original form in the character 灸.

See also the top component of 叟 in its original form and the bottom part of 赤.

Possibly from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *məj (Schuessler 2007; STEDT). However, see there for phonological problems.

Sagart & Baxter (2024) update its Old Chinese pronunciation to 火 (OC *X.pˤərʔ) (whence MC xwaX → huǒ) and propose alternative cognacy to 燹 (OC *X.pər(ʔ)-s) (whence MC xwijH), both being prefixed by unknown element X- which turned the labial plosive *p(ʰ)- into the fricative *xw-; moreover, both are cognates to 燹 (OC *sə-pˤər(ʔ)-s) (whence MC senX → xiǎn). They also propose that aforesaid Chinese words are cognates to Proto-Tibeto-Burman *par (i.e. STEDT Etymon #2152 *bʷar ~ *pʷar (“fire; burn; kindle; roast”), see there for descendants) as well as Proto-Austronesian *dapuʀ (“cooking fire, hearth”).

火

1. fire; flame

   可以跟你借一個火嗎？ [MSC, trad.]
   可以跟你借一个火吗？ [MSC, simp.]

   Kěyǐ gēn nǐ jiè yīge huǒ ma? [Pinyin]

   Can I borrow a light?

2. fire (as a disaster); inferno
3. red; fiery; bright; brilliant
4. to burn down
5. light; torch
6. (dialectal) light; lamp
7. anger; rage; wrath
8. to become enraged
9. angry; furious
10. (traditional Chinese medicine) internal heat

    上火  ―  shànghuǒ  ―  inflammation

11. firearm; ammunition; weapon
12. war; warfare
13. thriving; brisk
14. urgent; pressing
15. (neologism) to become popular; to go viral
16. (neologism) to be popular; to be viral

    此帖必火  ―  cǐ tiě bì huǒ  ―  This post will definitely go viral

17. (Cantonese) watt (unit of power)

    ※Definitely, "火" here is a unit of brightness (luminous intensity). However, the brightness of a luminous device is measured in watts in life because of luminous intensity's dependence on power, which resulted in it being bonded to watt, the unit of power.

    20火嘅燈膽／20火嘅灯胆 [Cantonese]  ―  20 fo² ge³ dang¹ daam² [Jyutping]  ―  20-watt lightbulb

18. short for 火星 (Huǒxīng, “Mars”)
19. (Cantonese) roasted

    Synonyms: 烤 (kǎo), 燒 / 烧 (shāo)

    火鴨／火鸭 [Cantonese]  ―  fo² aap³ [Jyutping]  ―  roasted duck

• (internal heat (traditional Chinese medicine)):

• “火”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

(First grade kyōiku kanji)

• Go-on: か (ka, Jōyō)^{←くわ (kwa, historical)}
• Kan-on: か (ka, Jōyō)^{←くわ (kwa, historical)}
• Tō-on: こ (ko)
• Kun: ひ (hi, 火, Jōyō)、ほ (ho, 火, Jōyō ^†)

Kanji in this term
火
ひ Grade: 1
kun'yomi

⟨pi₂⟩ → */pʷɨ/ → /ɸi/ → /hi/

From Old Japanese,^[1] from Proto-Japonic *poy.

Apophonic form of ho (see below). Compare 木 (ki, ko-, “tree”).

• (light): 灯

• (Tokyo) ひ [híꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [çi]

火(ひ) • (hi) 

1. a fire:
   1. a flame

      ストーブの火(ひ)を消(け)してください。

      Sutōbu no hi o keshite kudasai.

      Please put out the stove’s fire.

      キャンプで火(ひ)を囲(かこ)んで話(はなし)をした。

      Kyanpu de hi o kakonde hanashi o shita.

      We sat around the fire at the camp and talked.

      Synonyms: 火気 (kaki), ファイア (faia), 炎 (honō)

   2. cooking fire

      料理(りょうり)で火(ひ)を使(つか)って野菜(やさい)を炒(いた)める。

      Ryōri de hi o tsukatte yasai o itameru.

      I use a cooking fire to stir-fry vegetables.

   3. a firestarter

      キャンプで着火具(ちゃっかぐ)の火(ひ)をつけて、テントを建(た)てた。

      Kyanpu de chakkagu no hi o tsukete, tento o tateta.

      I lit the firestarter’s fire at the campsite to set up the tent.

   4. sparks

      工具(こうぐ)を使(つか)うと金属(きんぞく)が当(あ)たり、火花(ひばな)が散(ち)った。

      Kōgu o tsukau to kinzoku ga atari, hibana ga chitta.

      When I used the tool, the metal struck and sparks flew.

   5. light (matches or lighter)

      火(ひ)を貸(か)してもらえる？

      Hi o kashite moraeru?

      Can I borrow a light?

   6. heat

      ボイラーを強(つよ)く加熱(かねつ)しすぎると、火熱(かねつ)によってシステムが故障(こしょう)する。

      Boirā o tsuyoku kanetsu shisugiru to, kanetsu ni yotte shisutemu ga koshō suru.

      If the boiler is overheated, the heat will damage the system.

      Synonyms: 火熱 (kanetsu), 熱 (netsu)

   7. a conflagration

      住宅街(じゅうたくがい)で大(おお)きな火災(かさい)が起(お)こり、多(おお)くの家(いえ)が焼(や)けた。

      Jūtakugai de ōkina kasai ga okori, ōku no ie ga yaketa.

      A large conflagration broke out in the residential area and many homes were burned down.

      Synonyms: 火災 (kasai), 火事 (kaji)

   8. a signal fire

      Synonym: 狼煙 (noroshi)

      山(やま)の頂(いただき)で狼煙(のろし)を上(あ)げ、村(むら)に異変(いへん)を伝(つた)えた。

      Yama no itadaki de noroshi o age, mura ni ihen o tsutaeta.

      They lit a signal fire on the mountain peak to alert the village to the emergency.

2. (by extension) a light

   深夜(しんや)の森(もり)の中(なか)、彼女(かのじょ)はポケットの火(ひ)を揉(も)みしだいて、ほんの少(すこ)しの光(ひかり)を得(え)た。

   Shin'ya no mori no naka, kanojo wa poketto no hi o momishidaite, honno sukoshi no hikari o eta.

   In the middle of the forest at midnight, she rubbed her pocket light to get a little bit of illumination.

3. a burning passion

   彼(かれ)の研究(けんきゅう)に対(たい)する火(ひ)は、夜遅(よるおそ)くまでラボに彼(かれ)を留(と)めた。

   Kare no kenkyū nitaisuru hi wa, yoruosoku made rabo ni kare o tometa.

   His burning passion for research kept him in the lab until late at night.

4. menstruation

   毎月(まいつき)、彼女(かのじょ)は火(ひ)が来(く)ると生理痛(せいりつう)に苦(くる)しむ。

   Maitsuki, kanojo wa hi ga kuru to seiritsū ni kurushimu.

   Every month, when her period comes, she suffers from menstrual cramps.

   Synonym: 月経 (gekkei)

• 火(ひ)を見(み)るよりも明(あき)らか (hi o miru yori mo akiraka, “clearer than seeing the fire → as plain as day, as plain as the nose on one's face, as clear as a bell”)

Kanji in this term
火
ほ Grade: 1
kun'yomi

/po/ → /ɸo/ → /ho/

From Old Japanese.^[1]

Combining form of hi above. Probably the oldest form, possibly cognate with Korean 불 (bul, “fire”).

• IPA^(key): [ho̞]

火(ほ) • (ho) 

1. a fire

Kanji in this term
火
か Grade: 1
on'yomi

/kwa/ → /ka/

From Middle Chinese 火 (MC xwaX).^[1]

• (Tokyo) か [káꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [ka̠]

火(か) • (ka) ^{←くわ (kwa)?}

1. a fire
2. one of the five classical elements in traditional Chinese philosophy and medicine: see Wu Xing on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
3. (historical) under the old 律令 (Ritsuryō) system of ancient Japan, a military grouping, consisting of 10 soldiers: a squad

   Synonym: 分隊 (buntai)

4. short for 火曜日 (kayōbi): Tuesday

• 風林火山(ふうりんかざん) (fūrinkazan)

火(か) • (ka) ^{←くわ (kwa)?}

1. fire
2. light
3. burning
4. passion
5. imminently
6. explosive

火(か) • (Ka) ^{←くわ (Kwa)?}

1. Antares, in the constellation Scorpio

   Synonyms: アンタレス (Antaresu), 大火 (Taika)

From Middle Chinese 火 (MC xwaX).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	황〯 (Yale: hwǎ)
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
	Gloss (hun)	Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527[2]	블〮 (Yale: púl)	화〯 (Yale: hwǎ)

• (in {{ko-l|1=화요|2=火曜}}):
  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɸwa̠]
  • Phonetic hangul: [화]
• (fire; anger; etc.):
  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɸwa̠(ː)]
  • Phonetic hangul: [화(ː)]
    • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Wikisource

火 (eumhun 불 화 (bul hwa))

1. hanja form^? of 화 (“fire; heat”) [affix]
2. hanja form^? of 화 (“anger”) [noun]
3. hanja form^? of 화 (“(as an abbreviation) Mars”)
4. hanja form^? of 화 (“short for 화요일(火曜日) (hwayoil, “Tuesday”)”)

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [3]

From Proto-Japonic *poy.

Apophonic form of po₁ (see below).

Compare the development of 木 (ki₂, ko₂-, “tree”).

火 (pi₂) (kana ひ)

1. a fire
   • 711–712, Kojiki, poem 24:

     佐泥佐斯佐賀牟能袁怒邇毛由流肥能本那迦邇多知弖斗比斯岐美波母

     sanesasi Sagamu no₂ wono₁ ni mo₁yuru pi₂ no₂ po₁naka ni tatite to₁pi₁si ki₁mi₁ pa mo₂

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. (by extension) a light

• 火の神 (pi₂ no₂ kami₂, “fire deity”)
• 葦火 (asipi₂, “fire using dried reeds as kindling or fuel”)

• Japanese: 火 (hi), 灯 (hi)

Combining form of pi₂ above, probably the older form.

火 (po₁ → po) (kana ほ)

1. a fire

• 螢 (potaru, “firefly”)
• 火の神 (po no₂ kami₂, “fire deity”)
• 炎 (pono₂po, “flame”)

• Japanese: 火 (ho)

Appears in only one poem in the Man'yōshū (c. 759 CE) as a compound, see derived term 葦火 (asipu).

According to Vovin (2011) p. 222, this is the vowel raising of the nucleus of Proto-Japonic *poy to *puy, followed by deletion of the *-y consonant.

火 (pu) (kana ふ)

1. (regional, Central Eastern Old Japanese) a fire

• 富士 (Puzi, “Mount Fuji”) (disputed; might be an Ainu loanword)
• 葦火 (asipu, “fire using dried reeds as kindling or fuel”)

火: Hán Việt readings: hỏa/hoả^[1][2][3]
火: Nôm readings: hỏa/hoả^[2][3][4][5], ỏa/oả^[1]

1. chữ Hán form of hoả (“fire”)