Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Words Kanji Guides About

火照る (ほてる) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

火ほ照てる

ほ

て

る

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

feel hot; flush; burn

Describes a sensation of heat, often in the face, body, or a specific part, from embarrassment, fever, sunburn, or physical exertion.

恥はずかしくて顔かおが火ほ照てった。
My face flushed with embarrassment.
風邪かぜで体からだが火ほ照てっている。
My body feels hot from the cold.

Written forms

火ほ照てるUsage42%
Standard kanji spelling for the body or face feeling hot or flushed.
ほてるUsage55%
熱ほてるUsage3%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; 火照る is preferred.

Kanji

火fire
照illuminate, shine, compare
熱heat, temperature, fever

Similar words

熱あつい
熱い describes an object or environment that is hot to the touch, while 火照る describes a subjective feeling of heat in one's own body.
ほてり
ほてり is the noun form, referring to the sensation of heat or flush itself.

Etymology

Compound of 火 (hi, 'fire') and 照る (teru, 'to shine'), with rendaku voicing. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling conventionally associates the sensation with fire-like heat.