Chinese word

热

Pronunciation

Pinyinrè

Meaning

  • adjectivehot

Example

这碗面汤太热，小心烫嘴。zhè wǎn miàn tāng tài rè xiǎo xīn tàng zuǐ

This bowl of noodle soup is too hot, so be careful not to burn your mouth.

Illustration for 热 (hot)

More examples

外面太热了，我们开空调吧。wài miàn tài rè le wǒ men kāi kōng tiáo ba

It's too hot outside, so let's turn on the air conditioning.

Core concept

A rise in heat, either in objects and air or in the excitement and attention around something.

Common phrases

  • 很热hěn rè

    very hot

  • 喝热牛奶hē rè niú nǎi

    drink hot milk

Similar words

烫tàng: Hot enough to cause a burn when touched.
暖和nuǎn huo: Warm in a pleasant way that keeps out the cold.
热情rè qíng: Showing warmth and kindness in dealing with other people.
热闹rè nào: Full of lively activity and many people.

Definition in Chinese

指温度高以致触摸会感到烫的状态，也用于描述人或事物很受欢迎、场面热闹或气氛热烈，既可指物理的热，也可指比喻的热度（人气）。zhǐ wēn dù gāo yǐ zhì chù mō huì gǎn dào tàng de zhuàng tài yě yòng yú miáo shù rén huò shì wù hěn shòu huān yíng chǎng miàn rè nào huò qì fēn rè liè jì kě zhǐ wù lǐ de rè yě kě zhǐ bǐ yù de rè dù rén qì

Word origin

The simplified character 热 (rè, "hot") retains a fire element, linking its basic sense of physical heat with later uses for lively feeling and strong public interest.

Usage tips

  • The surrounding noun often supplies the clue: food and weather point to temperature, while entertainment, news, and activities point to public interest.

Other meanings

  • popularitynoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word