A hand touching a boiling kettle

Pinyin	rè
Meaning	hot; heat; to warm up; to heat up
Radical	灬（火）	繁體字	熱

	扌	九
	灬

writing patterns, not components

category: simplified

structure: up down

10stroke count

HSK 1

Breakdown

Originally a phono-semantic compound character, 热 (rè) “hot” is made up of two parts, 执 (zhí) “to hold” and 灬. 灬 is the radical, a variant of 火 (huǒ) “fire” when serving as a component at the bottom. 执 (zhí) is a simplified replacement of the traditional phonetic element. Still, since it means “to hold,” it forms a composition that indicates what we feel when “holding fire,” namely hotness.

Used as a morpheme/word

热 (rè) is mainly used to refer to a condition where the temperature is high, usually translated as “hot.” However, it can also indicate a strong affection or warmth of feeling.

How to pronounce

First, say su, as in “pleasure,” then move the tip of your tongue backward while it is touching the roof. Once you can feel the slope, stop right there, hold still, and say su again.