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蒸気 (じょうき) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

蒸じょう気き

じょ

う

き

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun

General term for steam or water vapor, often from boiling water or in industrial contexts.

やかんから蒸じょう気きが出でている。
Steam is coming out of the kettle.
蒸じょう気き機き関かんは産さん業ぎょう革かく命めいで重じゅう

要よう

な

役やく

割わり

を

果は

たし

た

。

Steam engines played an important role in the Industrial Revolution.

2

noun

steamboat; steam locomotive

abbreviation

Abbreviation used in compound words like 蒸気船 (steamboat) or 蒸気機関車 (steam locomotive); not used as a standalone word for these meanings.

See also: 蒸気船 · 蒸気機関車

「蒸じょう気き船せん」の「蒸じょう気き」は蒸じょう気き機き関かんで動うごく船ふねを指さす。
The 蒸気 in 蒸気船 refers to a boat powered by a steam engine.

Written forms

蒸じょう気きUsage99%
Standard kanji spelling for steam/vapor.
蒸じょう汽きUsage1%
Rare variant using 汽 instead of 気; not commonly used in modern Japanese.

Kanji

蒸steam, heat, sultry
気spirit, mind, air
汽vapor, steam

Similar words

湯ゆ気げ
湯気 specifically refers to visible steam or vapor from hot water, often in everyday contexts like cooking or bathing, while 蒸気 is a broader term for steam/vapor, including industrial uses.
水すい蒸じょう気き
水蒸気 is the scientific term for water vapor, often used in meteorology or physics, whereas 蒸気 is more general and commonly used in daily life.

Etymology

Compound of 蒸 (じょう, 'to steam') and 気 (き, 'air, gas, spirit'). The kanji 蒸 suggests rising vapor, and 気 indicates a gaseous state. The variant 蒸汽 uses 汽 (き, 'steam') instead, but 蒸気 is the standard modern form.