火 means “fire”

ひ · hi

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading): ひ, ほ-
On'yomi (Chinese reading): カ

JLPT N5 · Taught in grade 1 · 4 strokes

The story

Festival lanterns illuminate summer nights, flames dancing prayers toward the heavens.

One of the five elements in Japanese philosophy

Where it comes from

Pictographic (象形文字): Rising flames.

The original pictograph showed flames leaping upward. The modern form keeps the upward energy: the center strokes rise like a flame, and the two side dots are sparks flying off.

To remember it: A person sitting by a campfire, with two sparks floating on each side.

Its parts

火 Fire · Entire character

A pictograph of flames rising upward with sparks on the sides

Words with 火

火山 (かざん, kazan): volcano
花火 (はなび, hanabi): fireworks
火花 (ひばな, hibana): sparks

Example sentences

火を使うときは気をつけてください。 Please be careful when using fire.
火曜日はテストがあります。 There is a test on Tuesday.
花火がきれいでした。 The fireworks were beautiful.

Kanji that look like 火

灯 (lamp): 灯 has the fire radical on the left: fire contained in a lamp
炎 (flame): 炎 stacks two 火: flames on top of flames

More from Nature's Poetry

Learn 火 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji