热 rè — heat; to heat up; fervent; hot (of weather); warm up
夏天的天气很热。Xià tiān de tiān qì hěn rè.Summer weather is very hot.
Common words: 热情 (rè qíng)、热烈 (rè liè)、热爱 (rè ài)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "hot"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "hot", including 热 (rè), 辣 (là). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "hot" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 热 (rè), 辣 (là) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span rè, là — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 热 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 热 rèheat; to heat up; fervent; hot (of weather); warm upUseful words: 热情, 热烈
- 辣 làhot (spicy); pungentUseful words: 辣椒, 酸甜苦辣
Common words for these 2 "hot" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 热 (rè) — so "hot" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "hot".
辣 là — hot (spicy); pungent
四川菜以又麻又辣而出名。Sì chuān cài yǐ yòu má yòu là ér chū míng.Sichuan cuisine is famous for being numbing and spicy.
Common words: 辣椒 (là jiāo)、酸甜苦辣 (suān tián kǔ là)、麻辣 (má là)
All 2 characters
Open 热、辣 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.