The character 火 (huǒ): fire

On a cream ground, the character 火 in black, brush drawn, stands in front of a tall flame of orange and yellow whose heart is white at the base. The two small slanting strokes sit well clear on either side of the character, the left one leaning inwards, the right one shorter. The two long strokes beneath cross near the top and sweep out to the lower left and the lower right, following the shape of the fire.

Pronunciation: huǒ
Strokes: 4
Level: HSK 4
Radical: 火

What it means

fire; urgent; ammunition; fiery or flaming; internal heat (Chinese medicine); hot (popular); classifier for military units (old); Kangxi radical 86

Where its shape comes from

A flame, broad at the base and tapering to a point at the top. A pictogram. On the engraved bones 火 and 山 resemble each other so closely that specialists tell them apart by context: the foot of the fire is rounded, the foot of the mountain flat.

Source: Xu Shen, Shuowen Jiezi (121 CE) and Duan Yucai's commentary (1815); the Chinese University of Hong Kong character database.

A way to remember it

One big flame in the centre, with two sparks leaping away on either side of it. The sparks do not touch the flame: the two small strokes stay clear of the two large ones. Keep that gap and the character reads at a glance.

This is a memory aid, not the origin of the character.

Words it appears in

火车站 huǒ chē zhàn · HSK 2 train station
火柴 huǒ chái · HSK 5 match (for lighting fire); CL:根[gen1],盒[he2]
着火 zháo huǒ · HSK 5 to catch fire
火箭 huǒ jiàn · HSK 6 rocket; CL:枚[mei2]
火焰 huǒ yàn · HSK 6 blaze; flame
恼火 nǎo huǒ · HSK 6 annoyed; riled; vexed

Writing it

See the stroke order of 火, animated stroke by stroke.