Translation guide
Incense in Japanese is most commonly referred to as お香 (o-kō), a polite term used for fragrant materials burned for scent. There are also specific types like 線香 (senkō) for stick incense and 香 (kō) in more formal or traditional contexts. The verb 'to burn incense' is typically お香をたく (o-kō o taku).
The most common, everyday word for incense, used in homes and temples.
Polite and widely used term for incense. The prefix お adds politeness. Used for various forms of incense.
部屋でお香をたきました。
I burned incense in the room.
This incense smells nice, doesn't it?
More formal or literary term for incense, often used in traditional contexts like tea ceremony or Buddhist rituals. Can also mean 'fragrance'.
to appreciate incense (in kōdō, the art of incense)
Specifically the thin sticks of incense that are burned.
Refers to stick incense, the most common form. Often used in Buddhist altars or for mosquito repellent.
To offer stick incense at the Buddhist altar.
The container or stand used to hold burning incense.
The action of lighting or burning incense.
The smell produced by incense.
General word for fragrance, often used for incense. Can be used with お香の香り (incense scent).
The scent of incense filled the room.
お香 is the general polite term for incense, while 線香 specifically means stick incense. Use お香 for the concept or material, and 線香 when referring to the sticks themselves, especially in religious contexts.
Use たく for burning incense in general. あげる is used when offering incense at a temple or altar. つける is used for lighting mosquito coils (蚊取り線香).
To light a mosquito coil.
Stand the incense stick in the incense holder.