灰
[ha̠i]
The English word 'ashes' is translated into Japanese as 灰.
灰 is a noun meaning remains. You may encounter the idiomatic phrase 灰になる, which is used to describe something being reduced to ashes or being completely destroyed.
Meaning: remains (noun)
Did you know?
- In Japan, the process of collecting bone fragments after cremation is called kotsu-age, where family members use chopsticks to move the remains into an urn.
- The expression 灰になる can be used metaphorically to describe someone becoming completely exhausted or 'burnt out' from overwork.
- The kanji for 'ashes', 灰, is also used in the name of the color 'grey', written as 灰色 (hai-iro).
Examples in context
- 建物は、灰と化した。The building turned to ashes.This sentence shows how to express that a building turned to ashes using 灰.Tatoeba #10589677 by small_snow, translation #10589660 by AlanF_US
- すべては燃えて灰となった。Everything was burnt to ashes.This sentence demonstrates the expression for everything being burnt to ashes with 灰.Tatoeba #214381 by small_snow, translation #51673 by AlanF_US
- 火は村全体を灰燼に帰した。The fire reduced the whole village to ashes.This sentence illustrates the formal expression of being reduced to ashes using the compound related to 灰.Tatoeba #10589694 by small_snow, translation #60081 by CM
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two people are cleaning up after a small campfire.
- 大翔 Hiroto灰がまだ残っているよ。Hai ga mada nokotte iru yo.There is still some ash left.
- 陽葵 Himari本当に、真っ白な灰だね。Hontou ni, masshiro na hai da ne.It really is pure white ash, isn't it?
- 大翔 Hiroto陽葵、片付けを手伝って。Himari, katazuke o tetsudatte.Himari, please help me clean up.
- 陽葵 Himariわかった、大翔。Wakatta, Hiroto.Okay, Hiroto.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 灰, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
