热 (rè) is a Chinese character meaning “hot”. It is written from 执 (to hold; to grasp; to carry out) and 灬 (fire dots (bottom form of 火)), one above the other, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “hot”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
执 + 灬
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字（熱，溫也。从火埶聲）；简化字形 热 以 执 代替 埶，下部 灬 即「火」，已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（执 0–5，灬 6–9）
Memory aid
A hand holding (执) something right over the fire dots (灬). Both parts are really in this character — hold anything over a fire and it gets hot.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 热水rè shuǐhot water热 = rè
- 热情rè qíngenthusiasm; warm, enthusiastic热 = rè
- 闷热mēn rèmuggy; stuffy and hot热 = rè
- 灼热zhuó rèscorching hot; burning热 = rè
- 捂热wǔ rèto warm up by keeping covered热 = rè
- 热泪盈眶rè lèi yíng kuàngeyes brimming with tears (of emotion)热 = rè
- 热烈rè lièwarm; enthusiastic; lively热 = rè
Go deeper
All readings
hot
hot; heat; to heat up; ardent, enthusiastic; popular
温度高，与「冷」相对；也指加热、情意深厚或受人欢迎。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 热水rè shuǐhot water热 = rè
- 热情rè qíngenthusiasm; warm, enthusiastic热 = rè
- 闷热mēn rèmuggy; stuffy and hot热 = rè
- 灼热zhuó rèscorching hot; burning热 = rè
- 捂热wǔ rèto warm up by keeping covered热 = rè
- 热泪盈眶rè lèi yíng kuàngeyes brimming with tears (of emotion)热 = rè
- 热烈rè lièwarm; enthusiastic; lively热 = rè
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 热 mean?
热 (rè) means hot; heat; to heat up; ardent, enthusiastic; popular.
How do you pronounce 热?
It is pronounced rè.
What parts is 热 made of?
执 (to hold; to grasp; to carry out) and 灬 (fire dots (bottom form of 火)), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字（熱，溫也。从火埶聲）；简化字形 热 以 执 代替 埶，下部 灬 即「火」，已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（执 0–5，灬 6–9）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 热 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 热?
灬. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 热?
Common ones are 热水, 热情, 闷热. The reading of 热 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.