fire; flame; (slang) popular
HSK level
火 is written with 4 strokes. The animation replays automatically.
火 (huǒ) is a noun primarily meaning fire or flame — 生火 'light a fire,' 火很大 'the fire is big.'
From this core it branches in ways English 'fire' does not. It means anger or temper: 他火了 'he lost his temper,' 发火 'to fly into a rage.' In Chinese medicine it names internal 'heat' (上火 'to have excess internal heat,' causing sore throats or breakouts). In modern slang it means hugely popular or trending: 这个视频很火 'this video is blowing up.'
It is also one of the five elements (五行) and the Kangxi radical 86, appearing in fire-related characters. Because 火 packs literal fire, anger, bodily heat, and internet-viral fame into one syllable, English learners must read context carefully. Compare 火焰 (the visible flame itself) and 生气 (to be angry, the plain verb).
小心，别玩火！
Xiǎoxīn, bié wán huǒ!
Be careful, don't play with fire!
spoken
他一听这话就发火了。
Tā yì tīng zhè huà jiù fā huǒ le.
He flew into a rage the moment he heard this.
spoken
最近这首歌特别火。
Zuìjìn zhè shǒu gē tèbié huǒ.
This song is super popular lately.
spoken
他们在院子里生了一堆火取暖。
Tāmen zài yuànzi lǐ shēng le yì duī huǒ qǔnuǎn.
They lit a fire in the yard to keep warm.
neutral
火焰 refers specifically to the flame itself — the visible burning part. 火 is the broader word for fire in all its senses (fire, anger, heat, fame). Describe the shape of a 火焰; talk generally about 火.
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