蒸す

• Reading: むす
• Romaji: musu
• Kanji breakdown: 蒸 (jō/mu) — steam, sultry, hot and humid
• Pronunciation: /mɯ.sɯ/

Meaning

To steam (food); to be muggy or humid. Refers both to the cooking method and to oppressive, hot, humid weather.

A Group 1 (godan) verb with two distinct uses. In cooking, it means to heat food using steam (as with a 蒸し器, steamer). As a weather description, it means the air is hot, humid, and stifling. The weather use — often as 蒸し暑い — is more prominent in N1 reading contexts.

Examples

1. 今日は蒸し暑くて外に出る気になれない。 It's so hot and humid today that I don't feel like going outside.
2. 茶碗蒸しは卵を蒸して作る伝統料理だ。 Chawanmushi is a traditional dish made by steaming egg custard.
3. 梅雨の時期は一日中蒸すような天気が続く。 During the rainy season, the muggy, steamy weather continues all day long.

Usage Guide

Context: cooking, weather, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 蒸 depicts steam rising from vegetation under the sun, conveying heat and vapour. Used since ancient times for both cooking techniques and weather conditions.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal