燃
burn, blaze, glow
Readings
On'yomi
- ネン
Kun'yomi
- も.える
- も.やす
- も.す
Meaning
燃 centers on fire and its visible effects: burning, blazing, and glowing. All three meanings are direct expressions of something being on fire or radiating heat and light.
Most common words using 燃
20 of 136- 燃料ねんりょうN1
fuel
- 燃えるもえるN4
to burn; to get fired up
- 燃やすもやすN3
to burn
- 燃焼ねんしょうN1
burning; combustion
- 燃費ねんぴN1
fuel consumption; gas mileage
- 再燃さいねん
recurrence; revival; resuscitation
- 可燃かねん
inflammable; flammable; combustible; burnable
- 燃え尽きるもえつきる
to burn out
- 燃え上がるもえあがる
to flare up; to burst into flames
- 不燃ふねん
incombustibility
- 燃え盛るもえさかる
to blaze; to burn brightly
- 内燃ないねん
internal combustion
- 燃油ねんゆ
fuel oil; fuel
- 日本原燃にほんげんねん
Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd.
- 核燃料かくねんりょう
nuclear fuel
- 可燃物かねんぶつN1
combustibles; inflammables; flammables; burnables
- 可燃性かねんせい
combustibility; inflammability
- 不燃物ふねんぶつN1
non-inflammables; incombustible (usu. waste)
- 燃え広がるもえひろがる
to spread (of flames)
- 難燃加工なんねんかこう
fireproof
Study
Etymology
燃 combines 火 (fire) with 然, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of burning or blazing. The modern form is a straightforward phono-semantic compound.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side is fire 火, and the right side 然 looks like a pile of kindling with flames rising. Together they show a fire burning and glowing brightly.
Reading mnemonic
For ネン, imagine a fire burning so intensely that it makes a loud 'nen' sound as it blazes. The crackling 'nen' cues ネン while the flames glow.