火 Stroke Order — How to Write 火

Stroke Order

火 is written in 4 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 火, then complete the remaining strokes.

Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.

火 Radical and Character Components

Components:丷人

火 is a pictograph. Flames.

Radical: 火 + 0 more strokes

火 Pronunciation and Pinyin

huǒ

Meanings of 火 in Chinese

huǒ火

The light and heat produced by burning, or the act of burning itself; fire.

篝火的火焰在夜空中跳动，温暖着大家

The flames of the bonfire danced in the night sky, warming everyone.

Urgent; extremely pressing, often used in phrases like 'huǒsù' (at top speed) or 'shíwàn huǒjí' (extremely urgent).

这份文件十万火急，请你火速送达。

This document is extremely urgent; please deliver it at top speed.

Refers to firearms and ammunition, such as gunpowder and artillery.

古代人们发明了火药，用于制造火器。

Ancient people invented gunpowder for making firearms.

anger; to get angry, to be furious

他脾气很火，一点小事都会让他发火

He has a very fiery temper; the slightest thing can make him angry.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), 'huǒ' (fire) refers to symptoms like inflammation, redness, irritability, or internal heat, often associated with specific organ systems, e.g., 'liver fire' (gān huǒ) or 'toxic fire attacking the heart' (dú huǒ gōng xīn).

他最近经常熬夜，所以容易上火，嘴角都起泡了

He's been staying up late recently, so he easily develops internal heat/inflammation, and blisters have appeared at the corners of his mouth.

Describing a red color, as in 'fiery red' (火红 huǒhóng) or 'ham' (火腿 huǒtuǐ).

火红的枫叶染红了整座山。

The fiery red maple leaves dyed the entire mountain red.

In ancient military organization, 'huǒ' referred to a unit of ten soldiers.

古代军队中，一火通常有十名士兵。

In ancient armies, a 'huǒ' typically consisted of ten soldiers.

Popular; thriving; flourishing (colloquial, often referring to business or events).

这家餐厅的生意最近很火。

This restaurant's business has been very popular recently.

Popular; trending; well-received (informal)

这首歌很火。

This song is very popular.

Common Words and Phrases with 火

huǒ火bǎ把

a torch

探险家们高举火把，照亮了黑暗的洞穴深处。

The explorers held up torches, illuminating the depths of the dark cave.

huǒ火bàn伴

Comrades-in-arms; fellow soldiers

在艰苦的野外训练中，他们结下了深厚的火伴情谊。

During the arduous outdoor training, they forged a deep camaraderie as companions-in-arms.

huǒ火bìng并

A violent internal conflict or open fight between factions or members of the same group, often leading to mutual destruction or one taking over the other.

为了争夺地盘，两个黑帮头目最终选择了火并，结果两败俱伤

To seize control of the territory, the two gang leaders eventually engaged in a deadly internal conflict, resulting in heavy losses for both sides.

huǒ火bù不dēng登

Suddenly; all of a sudden.

我正要出门，火不登下起了大雨。

I was about to go out, when all of a sudden, it started raining heavily.

huǒ火chái柴

A small stick of wood or cardboard with a tip that ignites when struck, used for lighting fires.

我用一根火柴点燃了蜡烛。

I used a match to light the candle.

huǒ火chǎng场

the scene of a fire

消防员迅速赶到火场，控制住了火势蔓延。

Firefighters quickly arrived at the fire scene and brought the spread of the flames under control.

huǒ火chē车

A series of connected railway vehicles used for transporting passengers or goods.

我每天早上都会坐火车去上班。

I take the train to work every morning.

huǒ火chōng冲chōng冲

Furious; intensely angry.

她火冲冲地回到家，把门砰地关上

She returned home furiously, slamming the door shut.

huǒ火chòng铳

blunderbuss

在博物馆里，我看到了古代士兵使用的火铳，它们看起来十分笨重。

In the museum, I saw the huochongs used by ancient soldiers, and they looked quite clumsy.

huǒ火chuáng床

A hearth, a hardened ground surface where early humans made fires, often found in ancient caves or campsites.

考古学家在洞穴深处发现了一个古老的火床，周围散落着一些烧焦的木炭。

Archaeologists discovered an ancient hearth deep within the cave, with scattered charred wood around it.

huǒ火dì地dǎo岛

Tierra del Fuego, an archipelago at the southernmost tip of South America, divided between Chile and Argentina, known for its mountains, glaciers, and subpolar climate.