Translation guide
The English phrase 'boil up' can refer to heating a liquid until it bubbles, or to an emotional state of rising anger or tension. This guide covers natural Japanese expressions for both physical and figurative uses.
To heat water or another liquid until it reaches boiling point and bubbles vigorously.
Transitive verb meaning to boil water or liquid. Use when someone intentionally heats liquid.
Please boil up some water.
More technical or emphatic: to bring to a boil. Often used in instructions or formal contexts.
Boil up the water, then add the noodles.
To bring a liquid to a boil, often used in cooking contexts for soups or broths.
Boil up the soup, then reduce to low heat.
Describing the liquid itself reaching boiling point and bubbling.
Intransitive verb: water boils, the kettle boils. Use when the liquid is the subject.
When the water boils up, turn off the heat.
Intransitive, more emphatic or technical: to come to a rolling boil.
When the water boils up, add salt.
Intransitive, used for liquids in cooking, especially broths or stews.
To describe a feeling, especially anger or excitement, rising intensely inside someone.
Literally 'anger boils up'. A common and natural metaphor for sudden intense anger.
Anger boiled up inside me at his words.
General phrase for emotions welling up, not limited to anger.
To well up (tears, emotions). Often used for sadness or joy, but can be used for anger.
Idiom: blood rushes to the head, meaning to get angry or lose one's temper.
He boils up with anger easily.
Describing a situation, conflict, or atmosphere becoming heated or reaching a critical point.
To become tense or strained. Used for situations that are boiling up to a crisis.
The atmosphere in the meeting boiled up.
Loanword from English 'heat up'. Often used for debates, competitions, or emotions intensifying.
The argument boiled up.
To become white-hot; used for heated debates or intense competition.
The game boiled up into an intense battle.
While 'boil up' can be translated literally as 沸き上がる for emotions, using 沸く or 沸騰する for anger may sound unnatural. Stick to the phrases provided.
沸かす is transitive (someone boils water), while 沸く is intransitive (water boils). Mixing them up is a common mistake.
When the pot boils up, skim off the scum.
Hearing that nostalgic song, emotions boiled up inside me.
Frustration boiled up inside me.