火
ひ · hi · JLPT N4 · noun
fire
🔥 hi sounds like heat: fire gives off HEat, and 火 is read hi
Etymology: 火 began as a drawing of flames, a central blaze with a spark on each side. The native Japanese reading hi is pronounced like English he, the opening sound of heat. In compounds it switches to the Chinese-derived reading ka, as in 火曜日 (Tuesday, fire day).
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.