Japanese kanji 煙: smoke and smoking

The idea

煙 has 13 strokes; follow the linked diagram. 煙（けむり） means smoke, 煙い（けむい） means smoky, and 禁煙（きんえん） means no smoking or quitting smoking. 煙突（えんとつ） is a chimney.

Examples

• 煙突えんとつから煙けむりが上あがっています。Smoke is rising from the chimney.
• この部屋へやは煙けむいです。This room is smoky.
• このレストランは禁煙きんえんです。Smoking is prohibited in this restaurant.
• 去年きょねん、私わたしは禁煙きんえんしました。I quit smoking last year.
• 火ひの煙けむりが窓まどのほうへ流ながれています。The smoke from the fire is flowing toward the window.
• 駅えきから高たかい煙突えんとつが見みえます。A tall chimney can be seen from the station.

Watch out

Do not read every 煙 as けむり: compounds such as 禁煙 and 煙突 use えん. 煙い describes a smoky condition, not the smoke itself.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 煙 in hiragana.

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   けむり

   煙 is けむり, the noun for smoke. The first example describes smoke rising.

2. Write the reading of 禁煙 in hiragana.

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   きんえん

   禁煙 is きんえん. On a sign it indicates that smoking is prohibited.

3. Choose the missing kanji: ＿突（えんとつ）［煙／火］.

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   煙

   煙 completes 煙突（えんとつ）, a chimney through which smoke rises.

Use it today

Write 煙 following the diagram. Cover the table, read the four words aloud, then make a sentence with 煙 or 禁煙.