Radical 灬

10 strokes

熱

hold on to 执 (695c) + fire 灬 (185a) = hot 热

You will see from the following list of compounds that this can literally mean “hot” (high temperature) or, more metaphorically, “warm” to give meanings such as “ardent”.

热情 (339) rèqíng enthusiasm

[热点 (185) rèdiǎn hot-spot]

[热爱 (365) rè’ài to love deeply]

[热带 (429) rèdài the Tropics]

[热心 (161) rèxīn enthusiastic; warm-hearted]

You hold on to the metal poker while stoking the fire, but it becomes so hot that you drop it. / The dwarf growls, “Rrr … rug! You’ve burnt a hole in my rr..rug!”

This is a short stroke which crosses another stroke, as in the following character.

nine 九 (38) + splinter (695a) = pellet 丸

A youngster is sitting idly in the sun carving splinters off an old baseball, until what is left is just a pellet. / [No pronunciation needed]

執

hand 扌 (152a) + pellet 丸 (695b) = hold on to 执

This also means “to manage”, in the sense of managing a business.

The dead man had a pellet in his hand— he was holding on to it as if it was important. (perhaps it’s a clue to a homicide!) / [No pronunciation needed]