Translation guide
How to express 'blow out' in Japanese, covering extinguishing flames, bursting tires, forceful expulsion, and related uses.
To put out a candle, match, or small fire using breath.
The most direct and common way to say 'blow out' a flame. Used for candles, matches, etc.
ろうそくを吹き消した。
I blew out the candle.
誕生日のケーキのろうそくを吹き消してください。
Please blow out the candles on the birthday cake.
A more descriptive phrase meaning 'extinguish by blowing'. Slightly less compact than 吹き消す but equally natural.
マッチを吹いて消した。
I blew out the match.
When a tire, balloon, or similar object suddenly bursts or loses air.
The standard word for a tire puncture or blowout. Can be used for both sudden bursts and slow leaks.
高速道路でタイヤがパンクした。
The tire blew out on the highway.
Means 'burst' or 'rupture'. Used for balloons, pipes, or any object that explodes outward. For tires, パンクする is more common.
風船が破裂した。
The balloon blew out (burst).
Loanword from English 'burst', sometimes used for tire blowouts, but パンクする is much more common.
タイヤがバーストした。
The tire burst.
To blow air, smoke, or something out from the mouth or a machine.
Means 'blow out' in the sense of emitting air, smoke, or liquid forcefully. Also used for spurting or gushing.
彼は煙を大きく吹き出した。
He blew out a big cloud of smoke.
クジラが潮を吹き出した。
The whale blew out a spout of water.
Literally 'spit out' or 'expel from the mouth'. Can be used for forcefully blowing out air or something unwanted.
When a flame goes out because of wind or a gust.
Passive form of 吹き消す, meaning 'to be blown out' by wind or an external force.
風でろうそくが吹き消された。
The candle was blown out by the wind.
A simpler way to say 'go out because of wind'. Not as specific as 吹き消される but natural.
ろうそくの火が風で消えた。
The candle flame blew out in the wind.
When an explosion causes a window or structure to be blown outward.
Means 'blow away' or 'blast away'. Used for explosions blowing out windows or debris.
爆発で窓が吹き飛ばされた。
The windows were blown out by the explosion.
Means 'blow through', often used for wind blowing through a space, but can describe an explosion blowing out a passage.
吹き消す is only for extinguishing flames with breath. For a tire blowout, use パンクする or 破裂する.
吹き消す is a compound verb and slightly more common in everyday speech. 吹いて消す is a two-word phrase that is equally correct but a bit more explicit. Both are natural.
He blew out all the air from his lungs.
爆風が部屋を吹き抜けた。
The blast blew through the room.