[Day 3] 火 - fire (element)

Days 1-10

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[Day 3] 火 - fire (element)

The kanji 火 originally comes from a pictograph of a flame or burning wood. Its core meaning is “fire,” and by extension it appears in words about heat, flames, disasters, and the element Fire in the classical five-element system. You’ll also see it in weekday names and many compound nouns. Readings: On'yomi and Kun'yomi are both important with 火. The On'yomi (Chinese-derived) reading appears often in compounds (e.g., 火山), while the Kun'yomi (native Japanese) reading appears when 火 stands alone or in native words (e.g., ひ for fire itself). Mnemonic start: imagine the central kanji as a small campfire (the sun motif behind it makes it warm) — the short vertical stroke is the stick, the two side strokes are sparks, and the bottom stroke spreads the heat.

Readings

On'yomi: **カ** (ka) Kun'yomi: **ひ**, **ほ** (hi, ho)

Related words

• 火 (ひ, hi) — fire • キャンプで**火**を起こした。 (Kyanpu de hi o okoshita. I started a fire at the campsite.)

• 火曜日 (かようび, kayoubi) — Tuesday • **火曜日**に日本語のクラスがあります。 (Kayoubi ni nihongo no kurasu ga arimasu. I have a Japanese class on Tuesday.)

• 火事 (かじ, kaji) — (house) fire; conflagration • 近くで**火事**があった。 (Chikaku de kaji ga atta. There was a fire nearby.)

• 火山 (かざん, kazan) — volcano • この国には有名な**火山**がある。 (Kono kuni ni wa yuumei na kazan ga aru. This country has a famous volcano.)

• 火力 (かりょく, karyoku) — firepower; heat (stove intensity) • ストーブの**火力**を弱めてください。 (Sutoobu no karyoku o yowamete kudasai. Please lower the stove's heat.)