Readings: フツ (Onyomi), わ・く, わ・かす (Kunyomi)
Meaning: boil, ferment, seethe
Phono-semantic compound (形声, keisei). The left radical 氵 (water) indicates meaning, and 弗 (fú, “not; bow; remove”) indicates pronunciation. The character essentially depicts water undergoing agitation or a transformative process, leading to its meaning of “boiling.”
View JLPT N2 Kanji ListHow to Write – Stroke Order
The radical 氵 (water) is written first, with three strokes. Then the right component 弗 is written, starting with the top horizontal stroke, then the two vertical strokes with hooks, followed by the middle horizontal, and finally the bottom stroke.
Kanji Details
| Radical | 水 (氵) |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 8 |
| JLPT Level | N2 |
| Grade | S |
Readings with English Transcription
Onyomi (Chinese readings)
- フツ (FUTSU)
Kunyomi (Japanese readings)
- わ・く (wa・ku)
- わ・かす (wa・kasu)
Common Words Using 沸
Onyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 沸点 | ふってん | boiling point |
| 沸騰 | ふっとう | boiling, effervescence, uproar |
| 沸騰石 | ふっとうせき | boiling stone (for labs) |
| 沸騰器 | ふっとうき | boiler, vaporizer |
| 沸水 | ふっすい | boiling water (often industrial) |
| 沸騰現象 | ふっとうげんしょう | boiling phenomenon |
| 沸騰限界 | ふっとうげんかい | boiling limit (thermodynamics) |
| 沸騰炉 | ふっとうろ | boiling furnace |
| 沸々 | ふつふつ | bubbling, seething (onomatopoeia, often with と) |
| 沸石 | ふっせき | zeolite (a mineral) |
Kunyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 沸く | わく | to boil (intransitive), to well up, to get excited |
| 沸かす | わかす | to boil (transitive), to heat (water) |
| 沸き上がる | わきあがる | to boil up, to well up, to rise (e.g., emotions, cheers) |
| 沸き立つ | わきたつ | to boil up, to be excited, to be stirred up |
| 沸き返る | わきかえる | to boil over, to be in an uproar |
| 沸き水 | わきみず | spring water |
| 沸き立て | わきたて | freshly boiled (e.g., 沸き立てのコーヒー) |
| 血が沸く | ちがわく | blood boils (figurative) |
| 興味が沸く | きょうみがわく | to become interested, to feel interested |
| 歓声が沸く | かんせいがわく | cheers well up, to erupt in cheers |
Example Sentences
Japanese: お湯が沸きましたか？
Kana: おゆがわきましたか？
Romaji: Oyu ga wakimashita ka?
English: Has the water boiled?
Japanese: コーヒーを淹れるためにお湯を沸かしてください。
Kana: コーヒーをいれるためにおゆをわかしてください。
Romaji: Kōhī o ireru tame ni oyu o wakashite kudasai.
English: Please boil water to make coffee.
Japanese: 会場は熱狂的な歓声に沸いた。
Kana: かいじょうはねっきょうてきなかんせいにわいた。
Romaji: Kaijō wa nekkyōtekina kansei ni waita.
English: The venue erupted in enthusiastic cheers.
Japanese: 沸点に達するまで加熱する。
Kana: ふってんにたっするまでかねつする。
Romaji: Futten ni tassuru made kanetsu suru.
English: Heat until it reaches the boiling point.
Japanese: そのニュースは国民の間に大きな議論を沸騰させた。
Kana: そのニュースはこくみんのあいだにおおきなぎろんをふっとうさせた。
Romaji: Sono nyūsu wa kokumin no aida ni ōkina giron o futtō saseta.
English: That news caused a big debate to boil among the public.
Japanese: 泉から冷たい水がこんこんと沸いている。
Kana: いずみからつめたいみずがこんこんとわいている。
Romaji: Izumi kara tsumetai mizu ga konkon to waite iru.
English: Cold water is gushing out of the spring.
Japanese: 新しいアイデアが次々と頭の中に沸いてきた。
Kana: あたらしいアイデアがつぎつぎとあたまのなかにわいてきた。
Romaji: Atarashii aidē ga tsugitsugi to atama no naka ni waite kita.
English: New ideas kept bubbling up in my mind one after another.
Japanese: 彼の怒りが沸々と湧き上がってきた。
Kana: かれのいかりがふつふつとわきあがってきた。
Romaji: Kare no ikari ga futsu futsu to wakiagatte kita.
English: His anger slowly boiled up.
Japanese: やかんの湯が沸騰している。
Kana: やかんのゆがふっとうしている。
Romaji: Yakan no yu ga futtō shite iru.
English: The water in the kettle is boiling.
Japanese: 沸き立ての紅茶をどうぞ。
Kana: わきたてのこうちゃをどうぞ。
Romaji: Wakitate no kōcha o dōzo.
English: Please have some freshly boiled tea.
Related Grammar & kanji list
Expand your study with grammar and kanji lists for other JLPT levels:
I’m a software engineer based in Japan, with experience in developing web and mobile applications. I’m passionate about technology, especially in DevOps, AI, and app development using platforms like AWS, Flutter, and Node.js. My goal is to build a website that shares knowledge about the Japanese language and IT, helping everyone learn and grow more easily in the digital era.