How to say "forging" in Japanese

• 鍛錬たんれんCommon
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbThough it has literal metalworking senses, this word is mainly figurative: the forging or tempering of body, mind, or character through training and discipline. For literal metal forging it is seldom the word you want.
• 鍛冶かじ
  nounRefers to blacksmithing: the smith's craft of forging metal. Use it when 'forging' means the blacksmith's trade or craft, not the industrial shaping of metal parts.
• 鍛造たんぞう
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbThe technical term for forging as a metalworking process, used in engineering and manufacturing contexts. When 'forging' refers to shaping metal industrially, this is the word.
• 鍛えきたえ
  nounThe noun form of the verb 鍛える; like 鍛錬, it is mainly figurative — the forging or tempering of body, mind, or skill through training. Not a word for literal metalwork.
• 火造りひづくり
  nounA traditional smith's term for forging metal: heating it and hammering it into shape. It belongs to craft vocabulary rather than industrial usage.

For the industrial metalworking process use 鍛造, and for the blacksmith's craft use 鍛冶; 鍛錬 and 「鍛え」 are mainly figurative (the forging of body and mind), while 「火造り」 is a traditional smith's term for heated metalwork.

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

• 鍛錬たんれんtempering (metal)
• 鍛冶かじblacksmithing
• 鍛造たんぞうforging
• 鍛えきたえforging
• 火造りひづくりforging (metal)