Definition
Hot; having a high temperature. Also used to describe warm, passionate feelings or a lively atmosphere.
Example
今天很热，我们去游泳吧。
Show translation
It's very hot today — let's go swimming.
Etymology
The character 热 (rè) is a phono-semantic compound. The bottom component 灬 (four dots) represents fire, providing the semantic "heat" element. The top component 执 (zhí) historically contributed a phonetic hint. In oracle-bone and bronze script forms, fire imagery was central to depicting warmth and heat.
Cultural note
June 21 is the summer solstice (夏至, Xiàzhì) — the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere — making 热 an especially fitting word today! In China, 热 appears in dozens of compounds: 热情 (rèqíng, enthusiasm/warm-heartedness), 热门 (rèmén, popular/trending), and 热闹 (rènao, lively/bustling). A common false friend for learners: 热 alone means "hot," but saying 我热 (wǒ rè) means "I feel hot" — not "I am a hot person" as one might expect from a literal English translation.