热 meaning and stroke order
To warm up; to heat up; hot (of weather)
How to write 热, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 热
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to warm up
- to heat up
- hot (of weather)
- heat
- fervent
How 热 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Fire.
灬 gives the meaning and 执 hints at the sound.
Radical: 灬 (fire), shared by 28 characters on this site.
How to remember 热
热 is built from 执 (zhí) on top and 灬, the fire dots, underneath. Picture someone holding (执) something over a fire (灬) until it gets hot.
热 describes hot weather, hot food or drink, and heating something up, as in 加热 (jiārè). It also carries the idea of warmth and zeal in words like 热情 (rèqíng) and 热闹 (rènao). Example: 今天很热。 (Jīntiān hěn rè.) It is very hot today.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 热 (rè) with 熟 (shú, cooked), since both have 灬 at the bottom. Remember that 热 has 执 on top, while 熟 has the more complex 孰 on top.
Common words with 热
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 热情 | rèqíng | cordial; enthusiastic | HSK 2 |
| 热爱 | rè'ài | to love ardently; to adore | HSK 3 |
| 热烈 | rèliè | enthusiastic; ardent | HSK 3 |
| 热闹 | rènao | lively; bustling; full of activity; to make things lively; to have a good time | HSK 4 |
| 热心 | rèxīn | enthusiastic; ardent; zealous | HSK 4 |
| 热量 | rèliàng | heat; quantity of heat | HSK 5 |
| 加热 | jiārè | to heat | HSK 5 |
| 热门 | rèmén | popular; hot; in vogue | HSK 5 |
| 热水 | rèshuǐ | hot water | HSK 6 |
| 热线 | rèxiàn | hotline (communications link) | HSK 6 |
| 热点 | rèdiǎn | hot spot; point of special interest | HSK 6 |
| 热水器 | rèshuǐqì | water heater | HSK 6 |
| 狂热 | kuángrè | zealotry; fanatical | HSK 7-9 |
| 亲热 | qīnrè | affectionate; intimate; warmhearted; to show affection for | HSK 7-9 |
热 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 热
How many strokes are in 热?
热 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 热 mean?
热 (rè) means to warm up; to heat up; hot (of weather). A common word with it is 热情 (rèqíng), meaning "cordial; enthusiastic".
How do you pronounce 热?
热 is pronounced rè, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 热?
The radical of 热 is 灬, which carries the idea of "fire". Dictionaries list 热 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 热?
The traditional form of 热 is 熱. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 热 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 热 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 热 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
How do I say I have a fever in Chinese?
Say 我发烧了 (wǒ fāshāo le). 热 alone is not normally used for a fever in everyday speech, even though fever is one of its dictionary senses.
Is 热 the opposite of 冷 or 凉?
冷 (lěng) is the direct opposite of 热 for weather and temperature, as in 天气很冷 (tiānqì hěn lěng). 凉 (liáng) means cool and sits between the two, as in 凉快 (liángkuai).