榾ほた

also: ほだ

ほ

た

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

Refers to small pieces of wood or shavings used to start a fire. The word is somewhat specialized and may be encountered in traditional or rural contexts.

焚たき付つけに榾ほたを使つかう。
Use kindling to start the fire.
彼かれはナイフで榾ほたを作つくった。
He made tinder with a knife.

See all 6 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉に榾ほたをくべるto add kindling to (a fire, stove, etc.)
囲い炉ろ裏りに榾ほたをくべて火ひを大おおきくした。
He added kindling to the hearth fire to build it up.
榾ほたを燃もやすto burn kindling
冷ひえた部屋へやで榾ほたを燃もやして暖だんを取とった。
We burned kindling to warm the cold room.

Kanji

榾chip (of wood)
柮to cut, a stump

Related words

焚たき付つけ
焚き付け is the common everyday word for kindling, while 榾 is a rarer, more literary term for the small wood chips or shavings used to start a fire.
薪まき
薪 refers to firewood in general, usually larger split logs, while 榾 specifically denotes small chips or shavings used just for starting a fire.

Counted with

本ほんN5
Used for long, stick-like pieces of firewood; for small chips or kindling, native speakers may also use 個 in casual speech.

Word family

榾ほた場ば
site for mushroom-growing logs · village-shared forest site for gathering firewood
榾ほた木ぎ
kindling; tinder; firewood chips · mushroom-growing log

Written forms

榾Usage100%
- ほた
  Standard kanji form for this word.
- ほだ
榾柮
rarely-used kanji form
- ほた
  Rarely used kanji form; the second character is uncommon.
- ほだ
ほだ
Alternate reading; also used as a kana spelling.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. The kanji 榾 is a kokuji (Japanese-created character) combining 木 (tree) and 骨 (bone), possibly suggesting the hard, woody nature of kindling.