Common Meanings
1
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.