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道Nihongo Path
熱

熱·heat, fever, hot (to the touch), enthusiasm

On-yomi
ネツ
Kun-yomi
あつい

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

15 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
熱ねつfever, heat
熱心ねっしんenthusiastic, eager
熱いあついhot (object or drink)
熱中ねっちゅうbeing absorbed in something

Example sentences

  1. 昨日から熱があります。

    きのうからねつがあります。

    I've had a fever since yesterday.

  2. 熱いお茶を飲みませんか。

    あついおちゃをのみませんか。

    Would you like some hot tea?

  3. 先生は熱心に説明してくれました。

    せんせいはねっしんにせつめいしてくれました。

    The teacher explained it to us enthusiastically.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Mixing up 熱い (hot to the touch) with 暑い (hot weather) — both are あつい
  • Reading 熱心 as *ねつしん instead of ねっしん

Memory aid

Picture it

The four fire dots (灬) burning underneath — flames below mean heat, whether in a pan or in a fever.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 熱 mean?