蒸
steam, heat, sultry, foment, get musty
Readings
On'yomi
- ジョウ
- セイ
Kun'yomi
- む.す
- む.れる
- む.らす
Meaning
蒸 centers on hot, moist vapor: steam rising, sultry heat, or the process of steaming something. The extended senses of fomenting and getting musty both come from the idea of enclosed warmth and moisture.
Most common words using 蒸
20 of 98- 蒸気じょうきN2
steam; vapour; vapor
- 蒸しむし
steaming
- 蒸すむすN3
to steam (food, towel, etc.)
- 蒸発じょうはつN2
evaporation
- 蒸留じょうりゅうN1
distillation
- 蒸し暑いむしあついN3
humid; sultry
- 水蒸気すいじょうきN2
water vapour; water vapor; steam
- 茶碗蒸しちゃわんむし
chawanmushi; savoury steamed egg custard with chicken, mushrooms, etc. (savory)
- 蒸し返すむしかえす
to reheat; to steam over
- 蒸し焼きむしやき
baking foods in a covered pan; foods baked in a covered pan
- 蒸着じょうちゃく
vacuum deposition
- 蒸れるむれる
to be steamed (properly, e.g. rice)
- 蒸し蒸しむしむし
hot and humid; muggy; sultry
- 蒸散じょうさん
transpiration
- 蒸し風呂むしぶろ
steam bath
- 蒸し器むしき
steamer; steam cooker
- 蒸らすむらす
to cook by steam
- 燻蒸くんじょう
fumigation; smoking (out)
- 蒸れ蒸れむれむれ
filled with steam; sweaty
- 蒸かすふかすN1
to steam (food)
Study
Etymology
蒸 combines 艹 (grass/plant) with 烝, which itself shows steam rising from fire (灬). Together they suggest steam rising from heated plant material, a phono-semantic compound where 烝 contributes both sound and meaning.
Meaning mnemonic
Grass 艹 on top of a fire 灬 with rising steam in between: picture a pot of herbs steaming over a flame, filling the air with hot, moist vapor.
Reading mnemonic
For ジョウ, imagine a steaming bowl of miso soup that you need to 'jō' (a made-up word for 'stir' in a thick, hot liquid) to keep it from getting musty: jō -> ジョウ.