焚 Meaning, Reading, and Vocabulary Guide | Onyomi フン · Kunyomi た.く
The JLPT N2 kanji 焚 means to burn wood or firewood to build a fire.
Its onyomi is フン and its kunyomi is た.く, both of which are frequently used in daily life.
You will mostly see it in words like 焚き火 (bonfire) and 焚書 (book burning).
Kanji at a glance
Core meaning / core image
焚 is a kanji that means to build a fire or burn by setting wood or firewood ablaze. It is primarily used to express the act of kindling a fire or burning something completely.
Kanji structure breakdown
Mnemonic story
This character depicts a dense forest (林) catching fire (火) and blazing brightly. The image of burning wood so intensely that it all turns to ash gave rise to the meaning 'to burn'.
On'yomi and kun'yomi
On reading
Kun reading
Commonly used words
Example sentences
Mini quiz
Which of the following Japanese words means "bonfire"?
One-line summary
Derived from the image of setting fire (火) to a forest (林), 焚 means 'to build a fire' or 'to burn,' and is most commonly used in daily life in words like 焚き火 (bonfire) and 焚く (to build a fire).
FAQ
How are 焚く (たく) and 炊く (たく) different?
They have the same pronunciation but different usages. 焚く focuses on lighting or burning a fire itself, such as "building a fire" or "burning incense." On the other hand, 炊く is used when applying heat to cook food, such as "cooking rice" (ご飯を炊く).
Does 焚 appear often on the JLPT?
Yes, it is a JLPT N2 level kanji. Words like 焚き火 (bonfire) and 焚く (to build a fire) frequently appear in reading comprehension and vocabulary questions, so it is highly recommended to memorize its kunyomi (た.く).
