Kanji for 'Fire' in Japanese: 火 or 炎?

The standard kanji for "fire" is 火 (ひ, hi, fire).

炎 (ほのお, honō, flame) means a visible flame or blaze.

Use 火 (hi, fire) for fire in general. Use 炎 (honō, flame) when the flames themselves, or their intensity, matter.

火 (hi, fire) and 炎 (honō, flame): the practical difference

If you need one character for the basic idea of fire, choose 火 (hi, fire). 炎 (honō, flame) is more specific and usually creates a stronger image.

Readings and useful words

火 (ひ, hi, fire) is often read ひ (hi) when it is a word by itself. Its common 音読み (おんよみ, onyomi, Chinese-based reading) is か (ka). Onyomi is the reading often used in compound words.

炎 (ほのお, honō, flame) can be read ほのお (honō) by itself. Its common onyomi reading is えん (en).

One useful warning sign is 火気厳禁 (かきげんきん, kaki genkin, open flames and sources of ignition are strictly prohibited).

Simple examples with 火 (hi, fire) and 炎 (honō, flame)

• 火をつけてください。
  Hi o tsukete kudasai.
  Please light the fire.
• 火を消してください。
  Hi o keshite kudasai.
  Please put out the fire.
• 近くで火事がありました。
  Chikaku de kaji ga arimashita.
  There was a fire nearby.
• ろうそくの炎が揺れています。
  Rōsoku no honō ga yurete imasu.
  The candle flame is flickering.

Why does 炎 (honō, flame) contain two 火 (hi, fire) characters?

炎 is made from two 火 characters. The doubled form represents flames rising or burning strongly. It is a simple character structure, which is a pleasant change. Kanji does occasionally give learners a break.

Fire is not the same as hot

火 (hi, fire) and 炎 (honō, flame) name fire and flames. If you mean temperature, Japanese uses different words. See when to choose 暑い (atsui, hot weather) or 熱い (atsui, hot objects) for "hot".

火 (hi, fire) is also a beginner kanji. You can find it with other common characters in the JLPT N5 Kanji List.

Quick summary

• Use 火 (ひ, hi, fire) for fire in general.
• Use 炎 (ほのお, honō, flame) for a visible flame or blaze.
• Choose 火 (hi, fire) when you need one general Japanese fire symbol.