Physical fire; the visible, hot gaseous part of a fire.
ろうそくの炎がゆらゆら揺れている。
The candle flame is flickering.
The building was engulfed in flames in the fire.
flames of emotion; passion
Metaphorical use for intense emotions such as love, jealousy, or anger; often in literary or dramatic contexts.
彼の心に嫉妬の炎が燃え上がった。
The flames of jealousy flared up in his heart.
We could see flames rising from the factory.
He was burning with a flame of vengeance in his heart.
The firefighters desperately put out the flames.
The building was engulfed in flames in no time.
Kana spelling used when avoiding kanji or for clarity.
Variant kanji form; less common and may appear in literary or older texts.