Water and fire are nature's most fundamental opposing elements. In Japanese, these two elements generate a wealth of everyday kanji — from temperature (熱い/冷たい) to states of matter (凍る/溶ける), from natural phenomena (潮/炎) to daily essentials (湯/氷).
This article teaches you 20 water and fire kanji.
Core Kanji Table
Fire & Heat
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 火 | カ (ka) | ひ (hi)・ほ (ho) | fire | 火事 (かじ, fire/blaze), 花火 (はなび, fireworks) | 火事 = fire (disaster) |
| 炎 | エン (en) | ほのお (honoo) | flame | 炎 (ほのお, flame), 炎上 (えんじょう, going up in flames) | 炎上 = also means internet firestorm! |
| 熱 | ネツ (netsu) | あつ (atsu) | hot | 熱い (あつい, hot), 発熱 (はつねつ, fever) | 熱い = hot (object temperature) |
| 温 | オン (on) | あたた (atata) | warm | 温かい (あたたかい, warm), 気温 (きおん, air temperature) | 温かい = comfortably warm |
| 燃 | ネン (nen) | も (mo) | burn | 燃える (もえる, to burn), 燃料 (ねんりょう, fuel) | 燃えるゴミ = burnable trash |
| 灰 | カイ (kai) | はい (hai) | ash | 灰 (はい, ash), 灰色 (はいいろ, gray) | 灰色 = gray |
| 焼 | ショウ (shō) | や (ya) | grill, bake | 焼く (やく, to grill), 焼き鳥 (やきとり, grilled chicken) | Also in the food series |
| 煮 | シャ (sha) | に (ni) | simmer | 煮る (にる, to simmer), 煮物 (にもの, simmered dish) | Also in the food series |
Water & Cold
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 水 | スイ (sui) | みず (mizu) | water | 水 (みず, water), 水道 (すいどう, water supply) | 水道 = tap water system |
| 氷 | ヒョウ (hyō) | こおり (kōri) | ice | 氷 (こおり, ice), かき氷 (かきごおり, shaved ice) | かき氷 = shaved ice dessert |
| 湯 | トウ (tō) | ゆ (yu) | hot water | お湯 (おゆ, hot water), 銭湯 (せんとう, public bath) | NOT soup — hot water! |
| 冷 | レイ (rei) | つめ (tsume)・ひ (hi)・さ (sa) | cold | 冷たい (つめたい, cold), 冷蔵庫 (れいぞうこ, refrigerator) | 冷蔵庫 = refrigerator |
| 凍 | トウ (tō) | こお (kō) | freeze | 凍る (こおる, to freeze), 冷凍 (れいとう, frozen) | 冷凍食品 = frozen food |
| 涼 | リョウ (ryō) | すず (suzu) | cool | 涼しい (すずしい, cool), 涼風 (りょうふう, cool breeze) | 涼しい = pleasantly cool |
| 潮 | チョウ (chō) | しお (shio) | tide | 潮 (しお, tide), 潮流 (ちょうりゅう, tidal current) | 潮時 = the right moment |
| 溶 | ヨウ (yō) | と (to) | melt | 溶ける (とける, to melt), 溶岩 (ようがん, lava) | 溶岩 = lava |
Temperature & States
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 蒸 | ジョウ (jō) | む (mu) | steam | 蒸し暑い (むしあつい, humid), 蒸気 (じょうき, steam) | 蒸し暑い = hot and humid |
| 沸 | フツ (futsu) | わ (wa) | boil | 沸く (わく, to boil), 沸騰 (ふっとう, boiling) | お湯が沸いた = water boiled |
| 濃 | ノウ (nō) | こ (ko) | thick | 濃い (こい, thick/rich), 濃霧 (のうむ, dense fog) | Also in the food series |
| 淡 | タン (tan) | あわ (awa) | light | 淡い (あわい, faint), 淡水 (たんすい, fresh water) | 淡水 = fresh water |
Radical Contrast: 氵 vs 火/灬
| Radical | Name | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 氵 | sanzui | water/liquid | 水, 氷, 湯, 冷, 涼, 潮, 溶, 沸, 淡, 濃 |
| 火/灬 | hi-hen / rekka | fire/heat | 火, 炎, 熱, 燃, 灰, 焼, 煮, 蒸 |
灬 (four dots) is a variant of 火, appearing at the bottom of characters (like 熱, 蒸, 煮).
The 湯 False Friend Trap
For Chinese speakers, this is one of the trickiest kanji:
In Japan, 湯 means hot water and hot springs — not drinkable soup! Japanese 湯 (ゆ) = hot water.
Temperature Expression Guide
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 熱い | あつい | hot | Object temperature (お茶が熱い = the tea is hot) |
| 暑い | あつい | hot | Weather (今日は暑い = today is hot) |
| 温かい | あたたかい | warm | Comfortable warmth |
| 涼しい | すずしい | cool | Weather (秋は涼しい = autumn is cool) |
| 冷たい | つめたい | cold | Object temperature (水が冷たい = the water is cold) |
| 寒い | さむい | cold | Weather (冬は寒い = winter is cold) |
Note: 熱い vs 暑い (both read あつい) — the first is for object temperature, the second is for weather.
Practice
Q1. What does Japanese 湯 mean? How does it differ from Chinese?
Show answer
Japanese 湯 = hot water, not soup! Chinese 湯/汤 = soup. 銭湯 = public bathhouse, お湯 = hot water.
Q2. What's the difference between 熱い and 暑い?
Show answer
Both read あつい, but: 熱い = hot objects (コーヒーが熱い = coffee is hot), 暑い = hot weather (今日は暑い = today is hot).
Q3. What is the 灬 radical?
Show answer
A variant of fire. 灬 (れっか) = four dots = fire. It appears at the bottom of characters like 熱, 蒸, and 煮.
Q4. What is かき氷?
Show answer
Shaved ice. かき (scraping) + 氷 (ice) = ice shaved into fine crystals, topped with syrup. A classic Japanese summer dessert.
Q5. Besides "flames rising," what does 炎上 mean in modern Japanese?
Show answer
Internet firestorm/getting flamed. In internet slang, 炎上 (えんじょう) = being massively criticized online for controversial statements. Like "going viral in a bad way."
Summary
- Water vs. fire: 氵 (water) vs 火/灬 (fire) — the most fundamental radical opposition
- The 湯 false friend: in Japanese it means hot water, not soup!
- Temperature has two tracks: object temperature (熱い/冷たい) vs weather (暑い/寒い)
- 灬 = fire variant at the bottom — four dots = heat
- The nature series (4 articles) is complete! You've mastered 80 nature-related kanji