Translation guide
The process of a liquid turning into vapor, typically water into the air. In Japanese, the most common word is 蒸発 (じょうはつ), but it also has a figurative meaning of 'disappearing' or 'vanishing' (like a person). For scientific contexts, 蒸発 is standard. For everyday talk about water drying up, 乾く (かわく) or 蒸発する are used depending on nuance.
Describing the scientific or natural process of a liquid turning into gas, especially water evaporating.
The standard noun for evaporation. Can be used in both scientific and everyday contexts. Often used with する to form a verb.
水は熱によって蒸発する。
Water evaporates due to heat.
蒸発によって水分が失われる。
Moisture is lost through evaporation.
More technical term for vaporization, including evaporation and boiling. Used in physics and engineering.
液体の気化にはエネルギーが必要だ。
Vaporization of a liquid requires energy.
Specifically refers to transpiration in plants, or evaporation from a surface. Used in botany and environmental science.
植物の葉から蒸散が起こる。
Transpiration occurs from plant leaves.
Talking about puddles, wet surfaces, or laundry becoming dry, often in everyday situations.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to dry'. Used for things losing moisture, like clothes, hair, or ground. Not strictly evaporation, but often the natural way to express water disappearing.
洗濯物がもう乾いた。
The laundry has already dried.
雨の後、道がすぐに乾いた。
After the rain, the road dried quickly.
Verb form of 蒸発. Can be used for water evaporating, but often sounds slightly more scientific or formal than 乾く. Use when emphasizing the phase change.
水たまりが太陽の熱で蒸発した。
The puddle evaporated from the sun's heat.
Describing a person or thing that suddenly disappears without a trace, often used in news or casual speech.
Figurative use meaning 'to vanish' or 'disappear without a trace'. Commonly used for missing persons or stolen money. Often used with する.
彼は借金を残して蒸発した。
He vanished, leaving behind debts.
会社の資金が蒸発した。
The company's funds evaporated.
General verb for 'disappear'. Not as vivid as 蒸発, but can be used in similar contexts. 蒸発 implies a more sudden or mysterious vanishing.
蒸発 (じょうはつ) focuses on the phase change from liquid to gas, while 乾く (かわく) focuses on the result of becoming dry. For everyday situations like clothes drying, 乾く is more natural. Use 蒸発 when the scientific process is emphasized or for figurative vanishing.
Saying 蒸発する for laundry drying can sound overly technical. Use 乾く instead.
He suddenly disappeared.