猛火
mōka[mo̞ːka̠]
The Japanese phrase for "blazing fire" is 猛火 (mōka).
猛火 is used to describe an out-of-control, intense fire. This term is typically found in news reports, literature or formal warnings. For comparison, the word 炎 means flame or fire.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 猛火 is composed of the characters 猛 (fierce/violent) and 火 (fire).
Which one should you use?
While 猛火 is a more literary and concise noun, 激しい火災 is a more descriptive way to say "intense fire" in common speech.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is [mōka, maukwa].
Did you know?
- The concept of an 'out-of-control fire' is linked to the word 炎上, which in modern Japanese internet slang means a 'blazing' social media controversy or 'flame war'.
- In Japanese news broadcasts, 猛火 is often paired with the verb 包む (tsutsumu), meaning 'to wrap' or 'to envelop', to describe how a fire consumes a building.
- The character 猛 in 猛火 is the same one used to describe 'fierce' animals, such as a 'ferocious' beast. This gives the fire a predatory, living quality in the mind of a reader.
Examples in context
- 灼熱の炎が森を包み込んだ。The blazing fire engulfed the forest.
- 風に煽られて、炎はますます猛火と化した。Fanned by the wind, the flames turned into a fiercer blaze.
- 猛火が建物を飲み込んでいます。mouka ga tatemono o nomikonde imasu.A blazing fire is swallowing the building.
- 昨夜は猛火による被害が大きかった。sakuya wa mouka ni yoru higai ga ookatta.Last night, the damage from the blazing fire was huge.
Example conversation
Hiyori and Kenta are watching a news report about a fire.
- 健太 Kenta見て、すごい猛火だね。mite, sugoi mōka da ne.Look, it's a blazing fire.
- 陽葵 Himari本当に恐ろしい光景だわ。hontō ni osoroshii kōkei da wa.It's truly a terrifying sight.
- 健太 Kenta早く火が消えてほしいよ。hayaku hi ga kiete hoshii yo.I hope the fire goes out soon.
- 陽葵 Himari誰も怪我していないといいわね。daremo kega shite inai to ii wa ne.I hope no one is injured.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 猛火, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
