Japanese word

焼く

Pronunciation

Romajiyaku

Meaning

  • verbburn

Example

紙を焼きます。kami o ya ki ma su

I burn paper.

Illustration for 焼く (burn)

More examples

パンをオーブンで焼きました。pa n o ō bu n de ya ki ma shi ta

I baked bread in the oven.

Core concept

It centers on applying heat until something changes from its raw or unaltered state, whether the result is cooking, browning, or burning.

Common phrases

  • パンを焼くpa n o ya ku

    bake bread

  • 魚を焼くsakana o ya ku

    grill fish

  • 肉を焼くniku o ya ku

    grill meat

  • 紙を焼くkami o ya ku

    burn paper

  • ごみを焼くgo mi o ya ku

    burn trash

Similar words

焦げるkogeru: To become overly browned or blackened from too much heat.
焦がすkogasu: To make food or another object become scorched by applying too much heat.
燃やすmoyasu: To make something catch fire and continue burning, often destroying it.

Definition in Japanese

火や熱を加えて、物を燃やしたり食べ物を調理したりする。hi ya netsu o kuwa e te mono o mo ya shi ta ri ta be mono o chō ri shi ta ri su ru

Word origin

The native Japanese verb 焼く (yaku) is inherited from an Old Japanese verb and is paired with 焼ける (yakeru), "to become cooked or burned," in a transitive-intransitive contrast.

Usage tips

  • The English loanword yakitori comes from 焼き鳥 (yakitori), a dish of chicken grilled over a fire, linking 焼く (yaku) with a familiar food word.

Other meanings

  • bakeverb
  • grillverb

Related words

  • 焼き方yakikatabaking methodnoun
  • 焼き手yakishugrillernoun
  • 焼きyakigrillingnoun

Word lists with this word