燃 Meaning, Reading, and Vocabulary｜Onyomi ネン, Kunyomi も.える
燃 is a kanji that means 'to burn' or 'to set on fire'.
Its Onyomi is ネン and Kunyomi are も.える and も.やす. It is an essential JLPT N3 kanji.
You can easily memorize it by imagining a fire (火) naturally (然) blazing up.
Kanji at a glance
Core meaning / core image
燃 represents the phenomenon of a blazing fire or the act of burning something. Beyond physical flames, it is often used metaphorically to describe burning emotions or passion (e.g., 燃え上がる - to flare up).
Kanji structure breakdown
Mnemonic story
This kanji represents a fire (火) naturally (然) blazing up. The image of fiercely rising flames gives it the meaning 'to burn'.
On'yomi and kun'yomi
On reading
Kun reading
Commonly used words
Example sentences
Mini quiz
Which of the following is the correct Japanese expression for 'to burn trash'?
One-line summary
燃 represents a fire (火) naturally (然) burning. Remember its Onyomi ネン and Kunyomi も.える/も.やす together!
FAQ
What is the difference between 燃える and 燃やす?
燃える (moeru) is an intransitive verb meaning 'to burn', describing the state of being on fire. 燃やす (moyasu) is a transitive verb meaning 'to burn (something)', referring to the intentional act of setting something on fire.
What is the nuance difference between 燃 (to burn) and 焼 (to bake/grill)?
燃 primarily focuses on the phenomenon of 'blazing up' in flames until turning to ash. On the other hand, 焼 tends to focus more on 'changing the form or properties' by applying heat, such as grilling meat or baking pottery.
