Explore 燃 in literal fire and figurative passion. Learn each reading as part of a word.
The idea
燃 has 16 strokes; follow the linked diagram. 燃える（もえる） means something burns; 燃やす（もやす） means someone burns something. 燃料（ねんりょう） is fuel and 燃焼（ねんしょう） is combustion.
Examples
- 火が明るく燃えています。The fire is burning brightly.
- 葉が火で燃えました。The leaves burned in the fire.
- 私たちは古い紙を燃やしました。We burned the old papers.
- この車は燃料をあまり使いません。This car uses less fuel.
- 完全な燃焼には酸素が必要です。Complete combustion requires oxygen.
- 彼女の心は情熱に燃えています。Her heart burns with passion.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Japanese device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
Do not interchange 燃える and 燃やす: use が for the thing burning and を for the thing someone burns. 燃える can also describe passion.
Try it yourself
Write the reading of 燃える in hiragana.
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もえる
燃える is もえる: 火が燃える means the fire burns.
Write the reading of 燃料 in hiragana.
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ねんりょう
燃料 is ねんりょう, the material used as fuel.
Choose the verb: 紙を＿（燃える／燃やす）.
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燃やす
燃やす takes 紙を as its object: someone burns the paper.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Write the reading of 燃える in hiragana.
Write the reading of 燃料 in hiragana.
Choose the verb: 紙を＿（燃える／燃やす）.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write 燃 using the diagram, then make one sentence with 燃える and one with 燃やす.