live coals; burning embers
Refers to glowing embers or coals kept alive to start a new fire. Often used in traditional or camping contexts.
We kept the live coals from the campfire alive until the next morning.
Figurative use for the root cause or spark that ignites trouble, conflict, or a disturbance. Common in news and formal writing.
That remark became the spark that ignited the conflict.
Economic disparity can become a cause of social unrest.
This remark became the spark for conflict between the two countries.
The company harbors a serious source of trouble internally.
An old smoldering source of tension lingers between the two of them.
At the campsite, we made sure not to let the embers die out.
きっかけ is a neutral word for a 'trigger' or 'opportunity' to start something, whereas 火種 implies latent conflict or trouble waiting to ignite.
導火線 (literally 'fuse') emphasizes the trigger that sets off an already-building explosion, while 火種 focuses more on the underlying source that could flare up.
種火 refers to a small pilot flame or ember deliberately kept to light other fires, while 火種 more broadly means any live embers or, figuratively, a source of trouble.
火種 is a more colloquial metaphor for a potential trigger of trouble, while 禍根 is a formal term for a deep-seated cause of future misfortune.
Compound of 火 (hi, 'fire') and 種 (tane, 'seed'). The reading ひだね reflects rendaku voicing of たね to だね.