Fire element tattoo
Fire in Chinese is 火 (huǒ), one of the five elements, 五行 (wǔ xíng). It stands for warmth, light and expression, like the summer sun.
huǒ
Fire · one of the five elements
What 火 means.
火 began as a picture of rising flames. In casual modern Chinese 火 also means “popular”, like a song that has caught on.
- Character
- 火fire, flame; the same in simplified and traditional Chinese
- Virtue
- courtesy (礼 lǐ)
- Colours
- redorangewarm pinkpurple
- Season
- Summer
- Direction
- South
- Numbers
- 2 and 7
- In nature
- Sunlight, candlelight and open fires
- Years
- Years ending in 6 and 7
Yang and yin Fire
- 丙Yang Firethe sun
- 丁Yin Firethe candle flame
Each element has a yang and a yin side, written with two of the ten Heavenly Stems. In a Chinese birth chart, the stem of the day you were born is your day master: your own element.
In the cycles
- Wood feeds Fire, and Fire makes Earth in the generating cycle.
- Water puts out Fire, and Fire melts Metal in the controlling cycle.
Your element isn't just your birth year.
Years ending in 6 and 7 are Fire years, but in Chinese astrology your own element is your day master, from the day you were born. The free calculator reads your full birth chart and shows how the five elements balance in it.
About fire in Chinese
What is the Chinese character for fire?
火 (huǒ), meaning fire, flame. It is one of the five elements, 五行 (wǔ xíng), and is written the same in simplified and traditional Chinese.
What does the Fire element stand for?
Fire stands for warmth, light and expression, like the summer sun. Its virtue is courtesy (礼 lǐ), its season summer, its direction south, and its colours red, orange, warm pink, purple.
How do I know if Fire is my element?
Many people go by their birth year: years ending in 6 and 7 are Fire years. In Chinese astrology, though, your own element is your day master, the element of the day you were born, and it often differs from your year. The free element calculator finds it from your birth date.
Which zodiac signs belong to Fire?
The Snake and Horse have Fire as their fixed element. Each zodiac year also takes an element from its last digit, so there are Fire years of every sign.
How does Fire relate to the other elements?
Wood feeds Fire and Fire makes Earth in the generating cycle. Water puts out Fire and Fire melts Metal in the controlling cycle.
Is 火 a good Chinese tattoo?
Yes. 火 is a simple, well-known character, and every Chinese reader will recognise it as fire. With few strokes it stays clear even at small sizes. Choose a readable style such as Kaishu, bring a clean reference to your artist, and show it to a fluent reader before your appointment.