Chinese word

火

Pronunciation

Pinyinhuǒ

Meaning

  • nounfire

Example

厨房里的火很大。chú fáng lǐ de huǒ hěn dà

The fire in the kitchen is very big.

Illustration for 火 (fire)

More examples

楼下有人抽烟，可能引起火灾。lóu xià yǒu rén chōu yān kě néng yín qǐ huǒ zāi

Someone is smoking downstairs, which may cause a fire.

Core concept

A living flame that gives off light and heat, with its force extending naturally to strong feelings and sudden danger.

Common phrases

  • 生火shēng huǒ

    light a fire

  • 灭火miè huǒ

    extinguish a fire

  • 火灾huǒ zāi

    fire

Similar words

烟yān: The small particles and gases that rise into the air when something burns.
火灾huǒ zāi: A large fire that breaks out in a building or natural area and causes serious damage.

Definition in Chinese

表示燃烧时产生的火焰、光和热的现象，也指由此引申的热烈、愤怒或突发的危急状态。biǎo shì rán shāo shí chǎn shēng de huǒ yàn guāng hé rè de xiàn xiàng yě zhǐ yóu cǐ yǐn shēn de rè liè fèn nù huò tū fā de wēi jí zhuàng tài

Word origin

The character 火 (huǒ, "fire") began as a pictograph of flames, so its original image of burning heat supports later meanings linked with intensity and danger.

Usage tips

  • A sentence about a kitchen usually fixes the physical sense, while words about people, moods, or events can shift the meaning toward intensity or trouble without changing the character.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word