炎

• Reading: ほのお
• Romaji: honoo
• Kanji breakdown: 炎 (en/honoo) — flame, blaze
• Pronunciation: /ho.no.o/

Meaning

Flame; blaze. A stream of hot, burning gas produced by fire.

A noun referring to visible fire or flames. More literary and dramatic than 火 (hi, fire). Common expressions: 炎が燃える (honoo ga moeru, flames burn), 炎上する (enjō suru, to go up in flames / to be flamed online). The internet slang meaning of 炎上 (getting backlash online) is very common in modern Japanese.

Examples

1. キャンプファイヤーの炎が夜空に揺れていた。 The campfire flames flickered against the night sky.
2. 消防士が炎の中から子供を助け出した。 The firefighter rescued a child from the flames.
3. 強い風で炎が広がるのが速かった。 The strong wind caused the flames to spread quickly.

Usage Guide

Context: disasters, literature, nature

Tone: dramatic

Origin & History

The kanji 炎 doubles the fire radical 火 (hi), stacking one fire on top of another to represent intensified flames rising upward.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal