Translation guide
The English word 'flint' can refer to the hard stone used to start fires, a piece of this stone, or the sparking component in lighters. This guide covers how to express these meanings naturally in Japanese.
Referring to flint as a type of hard stone, often used historically to make tools or start fires.
Literally 'fire-striking stone', this is the standard term for flint used with a steel to create sparks. It can also refer to the material itself.
Start a fire with flint.
A more technical or literary term for flint as a mineral. Often used in geological or historical contexts.
Flint arrowheads were discovered in this area.
The English loanword, used in modern contexts like geology or brand names. Not as common for traditional fire-starting.
Flint is a very hard stone.
Referring to a specific piece of flint used to strike sparks, often paired with steel.
Same word as for the material, but context makes it clear you mean a piece. Commonly used in historical or camping settings.
He struck sparks with a flint and steel.
Specifically 'a piece of flint'. Use when you need to emphasize it's a fragment.
The small cylindrical piece inside a lighter that creates sparks when struck by the wheel.
Literally 'lighter's flint'. This is the most natural way to refer to the flint in a lighter.
The lighter flint is worn down.
The loanword is often used specifically for lighter flints in product names or casual speech.
A generic term for 'ignition stone', sometimes used in technical descriptions of lighters. Less common in everyday speech.
In most everyday situations, 'flint' refers to the lighter component. Use ライターの火打ち石 or simply フリント. For historical or camping contexts, 火打ち石 is the go-to word.
火打ち石 specifically means flint used for fire-starting. For generic hard stones like chert, use チャート (chāto) or 角岩 (かくがん).
I picked up a piece of flint.
このライターのフリントを交換する必要がある。
I need to replace the flint in this lighter.
When the flint wears out, it becomes hard to produce sparks.