沸く|わくwaku[0]heiban (flat)
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Definitions
- godan verb, intransitive verbto grow hot (e.g. water); to boil
- godan verb, intransitive verbto get excited (at); to erupt (in applause, cheering, etc.); to be in a ferment; to take place energetically
- godan verb, intransitive verbto ferment
- godan verb, intransitive verbto melt (of metal)
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 沸く（わく） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 沸きます（わきます） |
| Negative (nai) | 沸かない（わかない） |
| polite (masen) | 沸きません（わきません） |
| classical zu / nu | 沸かず・沸かぬ（わかず・わかぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 沸いた（わいた） |
| polite (mashita) | 沸きました（わきました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 沸かなかった（わかなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 沸きませんでした（わきませんでした） |
| Te form | 沸いて（わいて） |
| Potential | 沸ける（わける） |
| Passive | 沸かれる（わかれる） |
| Causative | 沸かせる（わかせる） |
| Causative passive | 沸かせられる・沸かされる（わかせられる・わかされる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 沸けば（わけば） |
| tara | 沸いたら（わいたら） |
| Volitional | 沸こう（わこう） |
| polite (mashou) | 沸きましょう（わきましょう） |
| Imperative | 沸け（わけ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Transitive / intransitive pair
お湯が沸く
沸く focuses on the event or resulting state, as in お湯が沸く; 沸かす foregrounds the agent acting on something, as in お湯を沸かす.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym沸騰ふっとうWrittenWritten register: a liquid boiling, or debate and public opinion heating up, as in 「議論が沸騰する」. More formal than 「沸く」.
- Synonym煮立つにたつNeutralFor soup or broth coming to a bubbling boil, as in 「鍋が煮立つ」; used mainly in cooking.
- Related沸かすわかすNeutralTransitive: to boil or heat something, as in 「お湯を沸かす」. 「沸く」 is intransitive — the water boils by itself.
- Related煮えるにえるNeutralFood becoming cooked through by simmering, as in 「芋が煮える」; the focus is on being done, not on the liquid boiling.
- Related煮え返るにえかえるWrittenWritten register: liquid seething and rolling, or being furious with anger, as in 「腹が煮え返る」.
- Related煮沸しゃふつFormalFormal term for bringing water etc. to a boil; common in 「煮沸消毒」 (boiling to sterilize).
- Related煮えくり返るにえくりかえるCasualColloquial; mostly figurative for seething with rage, as in 「はらわたが煮えくり返る」.
- Related煮えたぎるにえたぎるWrittenWritten register: a violent, rolling boil, as in 「煮えたぎる湯」; stresses how fiercely the liquid boils.
- Related煮え立つにえたつNeutralComing to a bubbling boil; also used of anger welling up, as in 「怒りで煮え立つ」.
- RelatedたぎるWrittenWritten register: liquid boiling or churning, and emotions surging, as in 「血が滾る」.
- Related煮立てるにたてるNeutralTransitive: to bring soup or broth to a boil, as in 「スープを煮立てる」.
- Related湯煮ゆにWrittenWritten, culinary term for boiling food in hot water, as in 「湯煮した野菜」.
- RelatedたぎらすWrittenWritten transitive: to bring a liquid to a boil or stir up passion; fairly rare.
- Antonym冷めるさめるNeutralAntonym: food or drink going cold, or enthusiasm cooling, as in 「お茶が冷める」.
- Antonym冷えるひえるNeutralAntonym: growing cold, as in 「体が冷える」.
Default to 「沸く」 for water coming to a boil or a crowd erupting in excitement. Use 「沸かす」 to boil water, 「煮立つ」 for broth bubbling in the pot, 「煮える」 for food cooked through, 「煮沸」 for boiling to sterilize, 「煮えくり返る」 for seething rage, and 「冷める」 when something cools down.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
