How to say "fire" in Japanese

• 火ひJLPT N4approx.Common
  nounFire as a physical phenomenon — flames, a blaze, something burning. The word for the fire itself, as in a campfire or candle flame, rather than a fire as a destructive incident.
  いすをもっと火ひの近ちかくに寄よせなさい。↗

  Draw your chair closer to the fire.
• 放つはなつCommon
  godan verb, transitive verbThe verb 'to fire': discharging a gun or arrow, firing off questions. It also covers shooting and hitting in baseball, and, in a separate sense, breaking wind.
  彼かれはその兵士へいしをねらって矢やを放はなった。↗

  He shot an arrow at the soldier.
• ファイアCommon
  nounThe katakana loanword from English, carrying a foreign flavor; for actual flames use 火 instead. It appears in games, for instance as the name of a fire attack or spell.
• 火事かじJLPT N4approx.Common
  nounA fire as a destructive incident: a building or house catching fire, a conflagration. This is the word for news of a fire breaking out, not for flames themselves or for shooting.
  火事かじの際さいは１１９番ばんに電話でんわしてください。↗

  In the case of fire, dial 119.
• 射撃しゃげきCommon
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbA noun for the act of shooting or gunfire: firing a weapon, target practice, a gunshot. It matches 'fire' only in the gunfire sense, never flames.
  彼かれは射撃しゃげきがうまい。↗

  He is a good shot.

火 is the word for fire as flames or the phenomenon of burning, 火事 for a destructive fire as an incident, 「放つ」 for firing a gun or arrow, 射撃 for shooting or gunfire, and 「ファイア」 the English loanword.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 火ひfire
• 放つはなつto fire (gun, arrow, questions, etc.)
• ファイアfire
• 火事かじfire
• 射撃しゃげきfiring
• 火災かさいconflagration
• 火気かきfire
• 砲火ほうかgunfire
• 火の手ひのてflame
• 撃つうつto shoot (a gun, person, etc.)
• 飛ばすとばすto let fly
• 焼き付けるやきつけるto bake (a design onto ceramic)
• くびにするto fire (from a job)
• 辞めさせるやめさせるto fire (from job)
• ぶっ放すぶっぱなすto fire (a gun)
• ＦＩＲＥファイアFIRE (movement)
• ほっぽり出すほっぽりだすto throw out
• 押っ放り出すおっぽりだすto throw out
• 暇を出すひまをだすto dismiss (an employee)
• 暇をやるひまをやるto dismiss (an employee)
• 火かfire (second of the five elements)
• 叩き出すたたきだすto kick out
• ちょん切るちょんぎるto fire (a person)
• 火を噴くひをふくto fire (of a gun)
• 首切るくびきるto fire
• あちちsomething hot
• ぶっ飛ばすぶっとばすto send flying
• 祝融しゅくゆう(disastrous) fire
• 焼くやくto make (charcoal, pottery, bricks, etc.)
• 発するはっするto shoot (an arrow or bullet)
• 放り出すほうりだすto dismiss