Translation guide
The English verb 'boil' covers several distinct actions and states in Japanese. The most common distinction is between boiling water or liquid (intransitive) and boiling something in water (transitive). There are also specific verbs for simmering, boiling down, and boiling over. This guide organizes the main uses from most common to more specific.
Describing water or a liquid reaching boiling point and bubbling.
The standard verb for water or liquid boiling. Intransitive.
お湯が沸いた。
The water boiled.
やかんのお湯が沸いている。
The water in the kettle is boiling.
More formal or technical term for reaching a rolling boil. Often used in written contexts.
水は100度で沸騰する。
Water boils at 100 degrees.
Cooking by boiling food in water.
The most common verb for boiling food like pasta, vegetables, or eggs. Transitive.
Heating water until it boils, often for tea or cooking.
The standard transitive verb for boiling water. Used when you boil water in a kettle or pot.
Cooking at a low boil, just below or at a gentle bubble.
Boiling a liquid to reduce its volume and concentrate flavor.
When a boiling liquid spills over the edge of a pot.
To be extremely angry, as if boiling inside.
沸く (わく) is intransitive: water boils by itself. 沸かす (わかす) is transitive: you boil water. 茹でる (ゆでる) is transitive for boiling food in water. Do not use 沸かす for food.
Saying 野菜が沸く (vegetables boil) is incorrect. Use 茹でる for boiling food.
卵を10分茹でてください。
Boil the eggs for 10 minutes.
やかんが沸騰している。
The kettle is boiling.
パスタを茹でる。
Boil pasta.
卵を茹でてください。
Please boil the eggs.
Boil or simmer food, often in a seasoned broth. Used for dishes like nimono (simmered dishes).
肉を煮る。
Boil/simmer meat.
Specifically for boiling/steaming rice. Not used for other foods.
ご飯を炊く。
Cook rice (by boiling).
お湯を沸かす。
Boil water.
やかんでお湯を沸かしてください。
Please boil water in the kettle.
To simmer or stew for a long time, often to develop flavor.
カレーを煮込む。
Simmer the curry.
Onomatopoeic phrase for simmering gently with a light bubbling sound.
スープをコトコト煮る。
Simmer the soup gently.
To boil down, reduce a liquid by boiling. Often used for sauces or jams.
ソースを煮詰める。
Boil down the sauce.
Specifically for liquid boiling over and spilling out of a pot.
牛乳が吹きこぼれた。
The milk boiled over.
Idiomatic phrase meaning to boil with rage. Literally 'boil and churn'.
腹が煮えくり返る。
I'm boiling with anger.
More literal expression: 'anger boils'. Somewhat formal.
彼の怒りが沸騰した。
His anger boiled over.