热带
rèdài · HSK 7
tropic
🌴 热 hot + 带 belt/zone = the hot belt of the globe = tropical zone
热 means hot and 带 means belt or zone (same 带 as in a sash you wear). The hot belt wrapping the middle of the Earth is the tropics. Sound: reh-dye.
热 — 执 zhí (phonetic) + 灬 fire radical
热 is a semantic-phonetic compound: the bottom 灬 (a variant of 火 'fire') gives the meaning of heat, while 执 on top supplies the sound. Originally written 熱, it depicted fire below a phonetic element, and the meaning naturally extended from physical heat to 'hot' weather and 'enthusiastic' feelings.
带 — belt/sash 巾 at bottom + ornaments above
带 originally pictured a belt or sash with hanging ornaments or pendants tied at the waist; the bottom 巾 (cloth) reinforces the textile meaning. From the literal 'belt' it extended to 'carry, bring along' (as a belt holds things) and to 'zone/region' (a strip of land).