Translation guide
The English word 'burning' can describe literal fire, intense heat, strong emotions, or urgent sensations. This guide helps learners choose natural Japanese expressions for each meaning.
Describing something that is actively burning with flames.
The most common and neutral way to say something is burning. It's the progressive form of 燃える (to burn).
家が燃えている。
The house is burning.
キャンプファイヤーがまだ燃えている。
The campfire is still burning.
A more technical or formal term for combustion or burning. Often used in scientific or official contexts.
この物質は高温で燃焼している。
This substance is burning at a high temperature.
Means 'going up in flames' or 'in flames'. Often used for buildings or vehicles engulfed in fire, or metaphorically for online backlash.
車が炎上している。
The car is burning fiercely.
Describing intense heat, like the sun or a hot object, not necessarily with flames.
Literally 'as if searing', used for scorching heat, especially from the sun.
焼けつくような日差しだ。
The sunlight is burning hot.
Means 'scorching' or 'blazing', often used for extreme heat like a desert or a furnace.
灼熱の太陽の下で働く。
Work under the burning sun.
A simile meaning 'hot enough to burn'. Can be used for objects or sensations.
砂浜が燃えるように熱い。
The sand is burning hot.
Describing intense feelings like love, desire, or ambition.
A common metaphor for burning passion or emotion. Often used with 恋 (love), 思い (feelings), etc.
彼女は燃えるような恋をした。
She fell in burning love.
Means 'hot' but often used for passionate feelings, like 熱い思い (passionate feelings).
彼は熱い情熱を持っている。
He has a burning passion.
Means 'intense' or 'violent', and can describe burning emotions like anger or desire.
Describing a sharp, burning physical sensation, like pain or thirst.
Used for a burning sensation, especially pain. 焼ける means 'to be burned/scorched'.
焼けるような痛みが走った。
A burning pain shot through me.
An onomatopoeic word for a stinging or burning pain, like from a sunburn or spicy food.
日焼けで肌がヒリヒリする。
My skin is burning from the sunburn.
Literary expression for a burning thirst.
砂漠で燃えるような渇きを覚えた。
I felt a burning thirst in the desert.
Used figuratively to mean urgent or highly important.
Means 'pressing' or 'urgent', commonly used for issues or problems.
それは差し迫った問題だ。
That is a burning issue.
Means 'emergency' or 'urgent', suitable for burning needs or matters.
緊急の課題に取り組む。
Tackle the burning question.
English uses 'burning' in many figurative ways. In Japanese, direct translations like 燃えている often only work for literal fire. For emotions or sensations, use the specific expressions provided.
燃えるような恋
burning love
燃える (moeru) is intransitive, meaning something burns by itself. 焼ける (yakeru) is also intransitive but implies being burned by an external heat source, like food being cooked or skin being sunburned. For 'burning' as an adjective, 燃えるような is for active flames/passion, while 焼けるような is for scorching heat/pain.
激しい怒りが込み上げた。
A burning anger welled up.