火焰
huǒ yàn · HSK 7
flame
🔥 火焰 = 火 fire + 焰 flame; both halves carry the 火 fire radical
火 means fire and stands alone; 焰 pairs the 火 fire radical on its left with 臽 on the right and means flame. Stacked together they name the visible flames of a blaze.
火 — pictograph of flames rising
火 is a pictograph showing flames rising upward from a fire, with the central stroke as the main blaze and the side strokes as sparks. The ancient oracle bone form looked even more clearly like a burning flame. It still means 'fire' today and serves as a common radical in characters related to heat, burning, or cooking.