火 – Meaning, Reading & Usage

by

火

火 represents fire. Its shape depicts flames rising upward, making it one of the most visually intuitive kanji.

Reading

On’yomi:

カ (KA)

Kun’yomi:

ひ (hi)、

ほ- (ho-)

Basic Information

Kanji 火
Meaning fire
Stroke Count 4
JLPT Level N5

How to Understand This Kanji

火 refers to fire itself but also appears in 火曜日 (Tuesday), since the Japanese days of the week are named after the five classical elements: fire, water, wood, metal, and earth.

Common Words

  • 火
    （ひ）
    — fire, flame

  • 火曜日
    （かようび）
    — Tuesday

  • 花火
    （はなび）
    — fireworks

  • 火事
    （かじ）
    — fire (disaster), house fire

  • 火山
    （かざん）
    — volcano

  • 点火
    （てんか）
    — ignition, lighting a fire

Example Sentences

  • 夏に花火を見ました。

    なつにはなびをみました。

    I watched fireworks in summer.

  • 火曜日に授業があります。

    かようびにじゅぎょうがあります。

    I have class on Tuesday.

  • 火事に気をつけてください。

    かじにきをつけてください。

    Please be careful about fires.

Related Kanji

  • 水

    — Water — the natural opposite of fire, and also a day of the week (Wednesday)

  • 木

    — Wood — another of the five elements and a day of the week (Thursday)

  • 土

    — Earth — the fifth element and Saturday (土曜日), completing the weekday set

When Learners Usually See This Kanji

火 is one of the five elements (五行) alongside 水 (water), 木 (wood), 金 (metal), and 土 (earth). Learning these five helps you memorize the Japanese days of the week all at once.

Summary

火 means ‘fire’ and is key for fire-related safety vocabulary and for learning the Japanese days of the week.

Kanji 火
Meaning fire
On’yomi カ (KA)
Kun’yomi ひ、ほ- (hi, ho-)
Strokes 4
JLPT N5