Translation guide
This entry covers ways to express that something is destroyed or damaged by fire in Japanese. It includes common verbs, nouns, and phrases for burning down, being consumed by flames, and fire-related destruction.
Expressing that a building or structure is completely destroyed by fire.
Means 'to be completely burned down'. Used for buildings and structures. Intransitive verb.
The house was completely destroyed by fire.
Means 'to be destroyed by fire', often used in formal or written contexts. Can refer to buildings, documents, etc.
Many buildings were destroyed by fire in the blaze.
General intransitive verb meaning 'to burn' or 'to be burned'. Can imply destruction by fire depending on context.
The house burned down.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to burn' or 'to be on fire'. Focuses on the process of burning rather than the result of destruction.
The building is burning fiercely.
Expressing that someone or something causes destruction by fire.
Transitive verb meaning 'to burn' or 'to set fire to'. Can be used for intentional destruction.
He burned all the documents.
Transitive verb meaning 'to burn' or 'to set on fire'. Often used for deliberate burning.
Means 'to burn down completely' or 'to raze by fire'. Emphasizes thorough destruction.
Referring to the event or result of fire destruction as a noun.
General noun meaning 'fire' or 'conflagration', often implying destruction.
Many homes were lost in the fire.
Noun meaning 'destruction by fire', often used in formal reports.
Noun meaning 'complete destruction by fire', typically for buildings.
Describing something being engulfed and destroyed by fire, often with dramatic nuance.
Both mean 'to burn', but 焼ける often implies damage or destruction by fire (e.g., food being cooked/grilled, skin sunburned, buildings burned down), while 燃える focuses on the active burning process with flames. For destruction by fire, 焼ける is more common when the result is emphasized.
Avoid directly translating 'destruction by fire' as 火による破壊. While grammatically correct, it sounds unnatural. Use specific verbs like 焼失する or nouns like 火災 instead.
The destruction of the library by fire was a great loss.
Many historical buildings were destroyed by fire in the war.
They burned down the old house.
The enemy burned the village to the ground.
資料の焼失を防ぐ。
Prevent the destruction of materials by fire.
その工場は全焼した。
The factory was completely destroyed by fire.