Usage of the character 火

(martial arts) wind-and-fire wheel, weapon used in hand-to-hand fighting
(Daoism) a magical pair of wheels on which one can stand to ride at great speed, used by Nezha 哪吒 ( Nézha)
(fig.) never-ending treadmill

fánghuǒtī

防火梯

[防火梯]

fire escape

shuànhuǒguō

涮火锅

[涮火鍋]

see 涮鍋子／涮锅子 (shuànguōzi)

shíhuǒjī

食火鸡

[食火雞]

cassowary (genus Casuarius), large flightless bird native to northeastern Australia and New Guinea
CL:隻／只 (zhī)

huǒjùshǒu

火炬手

[火炬手]

torchbearer
athlete carrying Olympic flame

guǐhuǒlü

鬼火绿

[鬼火綠]

(dialect) flaming mad
furious

huǒchēpiào

火车票

[火車票]

train ticket

tínghuǒxiàn

停火线

[停火線]

cease-fire line

diànhuǒhuā

电火花

[電火花]

electric spark

huǒchéngyán

火成岩

[火成岩]

igneous rock (geology)
volcanic rock

huǒróngcǎo

火绒草

[火絨草]

edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum)

yītuánhuǒ

一团火

[一團火]

fireball; ball of fire

yānhuǒqì

烟火气

[煙火氣]

cooking smells
(fig.) lively atmosphere

zònghuǒfàn

纵火犯

[縱火犯]

arsonist

huǒshāoyún

火烧云

[火燒雲]

nuée ardente
hot cloud of volcanic ash

huǒguānquè

火冠雀

[火冠雀]

(bird species of China) fire-capped tit (Cephalopyrus flammiceps)

yínghuǒchóng

萤火虫

[螢火蟲]

firefly
glowworm
lightning bug

huǒkuàizi

火筷子

[火筷子]

fire tongs
hair curling tongs

huǒliúxīng

火流星

[火流星]

(astronomy) bolide
fireball

huǒlóngguǒ

火龙果

[火龍果]

red pitaya
dragon fruit
dragon pearl fruit (genus Hylocereus)

zhǐhuǒchái

纸火柴

[紙火柴]

matches made of cardboard

báhuǒguàn

拔火罐

[拔火罐]

(TCM) to cup; to give a cupping treatment
short detachable stove chimney used to help draw fire

Huǒyàorì

火曜日

[火曜日]

Tuesday (used in ancient Chinese astronomy)

huǒshānmáo

火山毛

[火山毛]

(geology) Pele's hair

huǒshāndǎo

火山岛

[火山島]

volcanic island

huǒshānyán

火山岩

[火山岩]

volcanic rock

dǎhuǒjī

打火机

[打火機]

lighter
cigarette lighter

fēnghuǒtái

峰火台

[峰火臺]

fire beacon tower (used in frontier regions in former times to relay information about the enemy, using smoke by day and fire at night)

huǒshānhuī

火山灰

[火山灰]

volcanic ash

huǒlièniǎo

火烈鸟

[火烈鳥]

flamingo

gàihuǒguō

盖火锅

[蓋火鍋]

to block a shot (basketball)

dǎhuǒshí

打火石

[打火石]

flint

yǐnhuǒchái

引火柴

[引火柴]

kindling

huǒshānxué

火山学

[火山學]

volcanology

nàihuǒtǔ

耐火土

[耐火土]

fireproof stone
flame-resistant material

huǒbānjiū

火斑鸠

[火斑鳩]

(bird species of China) red turtle dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica)

huǒbǎjié

火把节

[火把節]

Torch Festival

fánghuǒdào

防火道

[防火道]

firebreak

zháohuǒdiǎn

着火点

[著火點]

ignition point (temperature)
combustion point

zhǐhuǒguō

纸火锅

[紙火鍋]

paper hot pot (hot pot using a single-use pot made of Japanese washi paper with a special coating to prevent burning and leaking, used for cooking at the dining table)

nàihuǒzhuān

耐火砖

[耐火磚]

refractory brick
firebrick

huǒshāndòu

火山豆

[火山豆]

macadamia nut

huǒyàowèi

火药味

[火藥味]

smell of gunpowder
(fig.) combative tone
belligerence

pēnhuǒqì

喷火器

[噴火器]

flamethrower

huǒyànshān

火焰山

[火焰山]

Mountain of Flames of legend
fig. insurmountable obstacle
Mountain of Flames in Turpan depression in Xinjiang

huǒjiàntǒng

火箭筒

[火箭筒]

bazooka
rocket launcher

huǒjiànpào

火箭炮

[火箭炮]

rocket artillery

Huǒxīngwén

火星文

[火星文]

lit. Martian language
fig. Internet slang used to communicate secret messages that the general public or government can't understand

huóhuǒshān

活火山

[活火山]

active volcano

huǒzàngchǎng

火葬场

[火葬場]

crematorium

huǒshānlì

火山砾

[火山礫]

lapillus
lapilli

Huǒdéxīngjūn

火德星君

[火德星君]

spirit of the planet Mars

huǒshānhuódòng

火山活动

[火山活動]

volcanic activity
volcanism

shíwànhuǒjí

十万火急

[十萬火急]

most urgent
posthaste
express

dòngruòguānhuǒ

洞若观火

[洞若觀火]

lit. to see sth as clearly as one sees a blazing fire (idiom)
fig. to grasp the situation thoroughly

Huǒdì Qúndǎo

火地群岛

[火地群島]

Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia

duìkōnghuǒqì

对空火器

[對空火器]

anti-aircraft gun

dāoshānhuǒhǎi

刀山火海

[刀山火海]

lit. mountains of daggers and seas of flames
fig. extreme danger (idiom)

huǒyányànyì

火炎焱燚

[火炎焱燚]

hot (i.e. popular) (emphatic form of 火 (huǒ)) (neologism c. 2016)

shuǐhuǒwúqíng

水火无情

[水火無情]

fire and flood have no mercy (idiom)

rèhuǒcháotiān

热火朝天

[熱火朝天]

in full swing (idiom)
(in a) frenzy
buzzing with activity

huǒshānhuītǔ

火山灰土

[火山灰土]

andosol (soil taxonomy)

huǒzhōngqǔlì

火中取栗

[火中取栗]

lit. to pull chestnuts out of the fire (idiom)
fig. to be sb's cat's-paw

zhítōnghuǒchē

直通火车

[直通火車]

through train

jíyúxīnghuǒ

急于星火

[急於星火]

see 急如星火 (jírúxīnghuǒ)

rěhuǒshāoshēn

惹火烧身

[惹火燒身]

stir up the fire and you get burnt (idiom); to get one's fingers burnt
fig. to suffer on account of one's own meddling

wánhuǒzìfén

玩火自焚

[玩火自焚]

to play with fire and get burnt (idiom); fig. to play with evil and suffer the consequences
to get one's fingers burnt

tiàochūhuǒkēng

跳出火坑

[跳出火坑]

lit. to jump out of a fire pit (idiom); to escape from a living hell
to free oneself from a life of torture

gé'ànguānhuǒ

隔岸观火

[隔岸觀火]

to watch the fires burning across the river
to delay entering the fray until all others have been exhausted by fighting amongst themselves (idiom)

nǎilàohuǒguō

奶酪火锅

[奶酪火鍋]

fondue

jūnhuǒjiāoyì

军火交易

[軍火交易]

arms deal

xiānghuǒdǐngshèng

香火鼎盛

[香火鼎盛]

(of a temple) teeming with worshippers

huǒlìfādiàn

火力发电

[火力發電]

thermal power generation

Huǒxīng Kuàichē

火星快车

[火星快車]

Mars Express, a European Space Agency spacecraft launched in 2003

jírúxīnghuǒ

急如星火

[急如星火]

lit. as hurried as a shooting star (idiom); requiring immediate action
extremely urgent

huǒshānbàofā

火山爆发

[火山爆發]

volcanic eruption

lièhuǒgānchái

烈火干柴

[烈火乾柴]

lit. intense fire to dry wood (idiom); inferno in a woodpile
fig. consuming passion between lovers

Tǔhuǒluórén

吐火罗人

[吐火羅人]

Tokharian people of central Asia

fēngfēnghuǒhuǒ

风风火火

[風風火火]

bustling
energetic

xiānghuǒbùjué

香火不绝

[香火不絕]

an unending stream of pilgrims

huǒshàngjiāyóu

火上加油

[火上加油]

to add oil to the fire (idiom); fig. to aggravate a situation
to enrage people and make matters worse

yěhuǒchūnfēng

野火春风

[野火春風]

abbr. for 野火燒不盡，春風吹又生／野火烧不尽，春风吹又生 (yěhuǒshāobùjìn,chūnfēngchuīyòushēng)

dēnghuǒtōngmíng

灯火通明

[燈火通明]

brightly lit

Fánghuǒ Chángchéng

防火长城

[防火長城]

Great Firewall of China (system for restricting access to foreign websites)

huǒchéngsuìxiè

火成碎屑

[火成碎屑]

pyroclastic

xīngxingzhīhuǒ

星星之火

[星星之火]

a single spark (idiom); an insignificant cause can have a massive effect

bùwēnbùhuǒ

不温不火

[不溫不火]

(of sales, TV show ratings etc) lukewarm
moderate
so-so
(of a person) calm
unruffled

huǒshàngjiāoyóu

火上浇油

[火上澆油]

to pour oil on the fire (idiom); fig. to aggravate a situation
to enrage people and make matters worse

Huǒnúlǔlǔ

火奴鲁鲁

[火奴魯魯]

Honolulu, capital of Hawaii
also called 檀香山

zhāofēnglǎnhuǒ

招风揽火

[招風攬火]

see 招風惹草／招风惹草 (zhāofēngrěcǎo)

bùyùnbùhuǒ

不愠不火

[不慍不火]

calm
unruffled

fùtāngdǎohuǒ

赴汤蹈火

[赴湯蹈火]

lit. to jump into scalding water and plunge into raging fire (idiom)
fig. to brave any danger
to go to any lengths (for a noble cause)

cuòhuǒjīxīn

厝火积薪

[厝火積薪]

lit. to put a fire under a pile of firewood (idiom)
fig. hidden danger
imminent danger

biǎoyǎnguòhuǒ

表演过火

[表演過火]

to overact
to overdo one's part

Jīnhuáhuǒtuǐ

金华火腿

[金華火腿]

Jinhua ham

rúhuǒrútú

如火如荼

[如火如荼]

like wildfire (idiom)
unstoppable

xīnhuǒxiāngchuán

薪火相传

[薪火相傳]

lit. the flame of a burning piece of firewood passes on to the rest (idiom)
fig. (of knowledge, skill etc) to be passed on from teachers to students, one generation to another

zhùtuīhuǒjiàn

助推火箭

[助推火箭]

booster rocket

yùhuǒchóngshēng

浴火重生

[浴火重生]

to rise from the ashes (idiom)
to thrive again after surviving an ordeal

dǎdehuǒrè

打得火热

[打得火熱]

(idiom) to be on very good terms with each other
to hit it off with sb
to be passionately in love with each other
to carry on intimately with
(of trading, conflict etc) to be in full swing

Huǒyǐng Rěnzhě

火影忍者

[火影忍者]

Naruto, manga and anime series

lúhuǒchúnqīng

炉火纯青

[爐火純青]

lit. the stove fire has turned bright green (allusion to Daoist alchemy) (idiom)
fig. (of an art, a technique etc) brought to the point of perfection

rúhuǒwǎnxiá

如火晚霞

[如火晚霞]

clouds at sunset glowing like fire

yānxūnhuǒliǎo

烟熏火燎

[煙燻火燎]

smoke and baking fire (idiom); surrounded by flames and smoke

xīnjíhuǒliǎo

心急火燎

[心急火燎]

to burn with anxiety

tiǎodēngbōhuǒ

挑灯拨火

[挑燈撥火]

to sow discord
to provoke

yùnzàihuǒjiàn

运载火箭

[運載火箭]

carrier rocket

shuǐshēnhuǒrè

水深火热

[水深火熱]

deep water and scorching fire
abyss of suffering (idiom)

fēi'épūhuǒ

飞蛾扑火

[飛蛾撲火]

the moth flies into the flame
fatal attraction

jiāochāhuǒlì

交叉火力

[交叉火力]

crossfire

huǒyǎnjīnjīng

火眼金睛

[火眼金睛]

piercing eyes
discerning eyes

wànjiādēnghuǒ

万家灯火

[萬家燈火]

(of a city etc) ablaze with lights

diǎnhuǒkāiguān

点火开关

[點火開關]

ignition switch

jūnhuǒgōngsī

军火公司

[軍火公司]

arms company

chènhuǒdǎjié

趁火打劫

[趁火打劫]

lit. to loot a burning house (idiom)
fig. to take advantage of sb's misfortune

zhànhuǒfēnfēi

战火纷飞

[戰火紛飛]

fire of war everywhere (idiom); enveloped in the flames of war

zǐdànhuǒchē

子弹火车

[子彈火車]

bullet train
Shinkansen 新幹線／新干线, Japanese high-speed train

huǒwěixīméi

火尾希鹛

[火尾希鶥]

(bird species of China) red-tailed minla (Minla ignotincta)

huǒwěilüméi

火尾绿鹛

[火尾綠鶥]

(bird species of China) fire-tailed myzornis (Myzornis pyrrhoura)

dāogēnghuǒzhòng

刀耕火种

[刀耕火種]

slash and burn (agriculture)

xīnjìnhuǒchuán

薪尽火传

[薪盡火傳]

see 薪火相傳／薪火相传 (xīnhuǒxiāngchuán)

chénghuǒdǎjié

乘火打劫

[乘火打劫]

to take advantage of sb's misfortune
to loot

huǒshāoméimao

火烧眉毛

[火燒眉毛]

lit. the fire burns one's eyebrows (idiom); fig. desperate situation
extreme emergency

shuǐhuǒbùróng

水火不容

[水火不容]

completely incompatible
lit. incompatible as fire and water

yùhuǒfénshēn

欲火焚身

[慾火焚身]

burning with desire

cāqiāngzǒuhuǒ

擦枪走火

[擦槍走火]

to shoot accidentally while polishing a gun
(fig.) a minor incident that sparks a war

huǒhǎidāoshān

火海刀山

[火海刀山]

see 刀山火海 (dāoshānhuǒhǎi)

huǒshāohuǒliǎo

火烧火燎

[火燒火燎]

restless with anxiety
to feel unbearably painful or hot

shānfēngdiǎnhuǒ

煽风点火

[煽風點火]

(idiom) to fan the flames
to incite people
to stir up trouble

huǒmàosānzhàng

火冒三丈

[火冒三丈]

to get really angry

shítouhuǒguō

石头火锅

[石頭火鍋]

claypot (used in cooking)

zǒuhuǒrùmó

走火入魔

[走火入魔]

to be obsessed with sth; to go overboard
(Buddhism, Taoism) to misguidedly focus on hallucinations that arise during meditation

hòuyuànqǐhuǒ

后院起火

[後院起火]

a conflict arises close to home (idiom)

jīxīncuòhuǒ

积薪厝火

[積薪厝火]

to add fuel to the flames

shārénfànghuǒ

杀人放火

[殺人放火]

to kill and burn (idiom); murder and arson

yīnxūhuǒwàng

阴虚火旺

[陰虛火旺]

an excess of heat caused by a deficiency in Yin energy (idiom)

jiāoyángsìhuǒ

骄阳似火

[驕陽似火]

the sun shines fiercely

hēidēngxiàhuǒ

黑灯下火

[黑燈下火]

pitch dark
also written 黑燈瞎火／黑灯瞎火 (hēidēngxiāhuǒ)

xiūmiánhuǒshān

休眠火山

[休眠火山]

dormant volcano

yǐnhuǒshāoshēn

引火烧身

[引火燒身]

to invite trouble

pàohuǒliántiān

炮火连天

[砲火連天]

cannon firing for days on end (idiom); enveloped in the flames of war

gōuhuǒhúmíng

篝火狐鸣

[篝火狐鳴]

to tell fox ghost stories around a bonfire and incite rebellion
an uprising is afoot (idiom)

fēi'étóuhuǒ

飞蛾投火

[飛蛾投火]

lit. like a moth flying into the fire (idiom); fig. to choose a path to certain destruction

bàoxīnjiùhuǒ

抱薪救火

[抱薪救火]

lit. to carry firewood to put out a fire (idiom); fig. to make a problem worse by inappropriate action

fēnghuǒsìqǐ

烽火四起

[烽火四起]

the fire of war in all four directions (idiom); the confusion of war

hēidēngxiāhuǒ

黑灯瞎火

[黑燈瞎火]

pitch dark

zuānmù-qǔhuǒ

钻木取火

[鑽木取火]

to drill wood to make fire

huǒshùyínhuā

火树银花

[火樹銀花]

display of fireworks and lanterns

báhuǒguànr

拔火罐儿

[拔火罐兒]

erhua variant of 拔火罐 (báhuǒguàn)

huǒshānsuìxièliú

火山碎屑流

[火山碎屑流]

pyroclastic flow

Yītōnghuǒshānqún

伊通火山群

[伊通火山群]

Yitong volcanic area in Yitong Manchurian autonomous county 伊通滿族自治縣／伊通满族自治县, Siping, Jilin

zhǐbāobùzhùhuǒ

纸包不住火

[紙包不住火]

lit. paper can't wrap fire; fig. the truth will out

huǒlìfādiànchǎng

火力发电厂

[火力發電廠]

fired power plant (i.e. fired by coal, oil or gas)

chìrèhuǒshānyún

炽热火山云

[熾熱火山雲]

nuée ardente
hot cloud of volcanic ash

dīpínghuǒshānkǒu

低平火山口

[低平火山口]

maar

Huǒxīngzhuàng Dìqiú

火星撞地球

[火星撞地球]

clash that leaves both sides shattered

huǒwěitàiyángniǎo

火尾太阳鸟

[火尾太陽鳥]

(bird species of China) fire-tailed sunbird (Aethopyga ignicauda)

Aītènàhuǒshān

埃特纳火山

[埃特納火山]

Mt Etna, volcano in Italy

jiùchǎngrújiùhuǒ

救场如救火

[救場如救火]

the show must go on (idiom)

huǒyàowèishènnóng

火药味甚浓

[火藥味甚濃]

strong smell of gunpowder
fig. tense situation
standoff

mǎnzuǐpǎohuǒchē

满嘴跑火车

[滿嘴跑火車]

(idiom) to have a glib tongue
to talk big

huǒyànpēnshèqì

火焰喷射器

[火焰噴射器]

flamethrower

Dàtún Huǒshānqún

大屯火山群

[大屯火山群]

Tatun Volcanic Group, volcanic area to the north of Taipei

Kālākātuōhuǒshān

喀拉喀托火山

[喀拉喀托火山]

Krakatoa (volcanic island in Indonesia)

zhēnjīnbùpàhuǒliàn

真金不怕火炼

[真金不怕火煉]

True gold fears no fire. (idiom)

yuǎnshuǐbùjiùjìnhuǒ

远水不救近火

[遠水不救近火]

see 遠水救不了近火／远水救不了近火 (yuǎnshuǐjiùbuliǎojìnhuǒ)

Huátiělú Huǒchēzhàn

滑铁卢火车站

[滑鐵盧火車站]

Waterloo Station (London)

huǒchǎngliúshǒufēnduì

火场留守分队

[火場留守分隊]

detachment left to provide covering fire

huǒjiàntuījìnliúdàn

火箭推进榴弹

[火箭推進榴彈]

rocket-propelled grenade (RPG)

bùshírénjiānyānhuǒ

不食人间烟火

[不食人間煙火]

lit. not eating the food of common mortals
fig. placing oneself above the common populace

Guójiā Huǒshān Gōngyuán

国家火山公园

[國家火山公園]

Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

huǒshānbàofāzhǐshù

火山爆发指数

[火山爆發指數]

volcanic explosivity index (VEI)

shàngdāoshān,xiàhuǒhǎi

上刀山，下火海

[上刀山，下火海]

lit. to climb mountains of swords and enter seas of flames (idiom)
fig. to go through trials and tribulations (often, for a noble cause)

zhòngrénshícháihuǒyàngāo

众人拾柴火焰高

[眾人拾柴火焰高]

when everybody gathers fuel, the flames are higher (idiom)
the more people, the more strength

tiàochūfǔdǐjìnhuǒkēng

跳出釜底进火坑

[跳出釜底進火坑]

out of the frying pan into the fire (idiom)

yuǎnshuǐjiùbuliǎojìnhuǒ

远水救不了近火

[遠水救不了近火]

water in a distant place is of little use in putting out a fire right here
(fig.) a slow remedy does not address the current emergency

Huán Tàipíngyáng Huǒshāndài

环太平洋火山带

[環太平洋火山帶]

Ring of Fire (circum-Pacific seismic belt)

zhēnjīnbùpàhuǒláishāo

真金不怕火来烧

[真金不怕火來燒]

see 真金不怕火煉／真金不怕火炼 (zhēnjīnbùpàhuǒliàn)

bùdàohuǒhòubùjiēguō

不到火候不揭锅

[不到火候不揭鍋]

don't act until the time is ripe (idiom)

xīnguānshàngrènsānbǎhuǒ

新官上任三把火

[新官上任三把火]

(of a newly appointed official) to make bold changes on assuming office (idiom)

Kèzī'ěrgǎhāfēnghuǒtái

克孜尔尕哈烽火台

[克孜爾尕哈烽火台]

Kizilgaha fire beacon tower in Kuchar county 庫車／库车, Aksu 阿克蘇地區／阿克苏地区, Xinjiang

Xiàwēiyí Huǒshān Guójiā Gōngyuán

夏威夷火山国家公园

[夏威夷火山國家公園]

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

fēngyānsìqǐ,zhànhuǒfēnfēi

烽烟四起，战火纷飞

[烽煙四起，戰火紛飛]

lit. fire beacons in all four directions (idiom); the confusion of war

chéngménshīhuǒ,yāngjíchíyú

城门失火，殃及池鱼

[城門失火，殃及池魚]

a fire in the city gates is also a calamity for the fish in the moat (idiom); the bystander will also suffer
fig. you can't escape responsibility for your actions
ask not for whom the bell tolls - it tolls for thee

xīngxingzhīhuǒ,kěyǐliáoyuán

星星之火，可以燎原

[星星之火，可以燎原]

a single spark can start a huge blaze (idiom); an insignificant cause can have a massive effect

jífēngzhījìncǎo,lièhuǒjiànzhēnjīn

疾风知劲草，烈火见真金

[疾風知勁草，烈火見真金]

lit. sturdy grass withstands high winds and true gold stands the test of fire (idiom)
fig. strength of character is revealed in a crisis

yěhuǒshāobùjìn,chūnfēngchuīyòushēng

野火烧不尽，春风吹又生

[野火燒不盡，春風吹又生]

lit. even a prairie fire cannot destroy the grass - it grows again when the breeze blows (proverb)
fig. cannot be easily eliminated
abbr. to 野火春風／野火春风 (yěhuǒchūnfēng)

zhǐxǔzhōuguānfànghuǒ,bùxǔbǎixìngdiǎndēng

只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯

[只許州官放火，不許百姓點燈]

only the official is allowed to light the fire
Gods may do what cattle may not
quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi

yúshēnghuǒ,ròushēngtán,qīngcàidòufubǎopíng'ān

鱼生火，肉生痰，青菜豆腐保平安

[魚生火，肉生痰，青菜豆腐保平安]

fish brings heat, meat brings phlegm, vegetables and tofu keep you healthy