火花
hibana[çiba̠na̠]
The English phrase 'spark' can be translated into Japanese as 火花 (hibana) or スパーク.
Meaning: burst of electrical discharge (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 火花 | hibana | [çiba̠na̠] (narrow) |
| スパーク | supāku | [sɨ̥pa̠ːkɯ̟] (narrow) |
The word refers to a burst of electrical discharge.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 火花 (hibana) is composed of the kanji 火 (fire) and 花 (flower), literally meaning 'fire flower'.
Which one should you use?
火花 is the standard Japanese word for a physical spark. In contrast, スパーク is a katakana loanword that is often used in technical, electrical or automotive contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
hibana
Did you know?
- While 火花 describes a physical spark, the phrase 火花を散らす (hibana o chirasu) literally means 'to scatter sparks' but is used to describe two people in a fierce or heated argument.
- The use of スパーク was documented in Japanese dictionaries as early as 1914, showing how quickly Western technical terminology was integrated into the language.
- The kanji 花 used in 火花 is also used in the word 'hanabi' (fireworks), which literally translates to 'fire flower' as well.
Examples in context
- 彼は溶接中に大きな火花を発生させた。He produced big sparks while welding.
- 彼女の目には彼の言葉に対する輝く光が宿った。Her eyes held a shining spark in response to his words.
- 溶接の時に火花に注意してください。Yōsetsu no toki ni hibana ni chūi shite kudasai.Please be careful of the sparks during welding.
- 配線のショートで火花が出た。Haisen no shōto de hibana ga deta.Sparks came out due to a short circuit in the wiring.
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are looking at a broken toaster.
- 蓮 Ren結衣、見て。火花が出たよ。Yui, mite. Hibana ga deta yo.Yui, look. A spark came out.
- 結衣 Yuiえっ、危ないから触らないで！E, abunai kara sawaranaide!What? Don't touch it, it's dangerous!
- 蓮 Renもう電源を切ったから大丈夫だ。Mō den-gen o kitta kara daijōbu da.I already turned off the power, so it's okay.
- 結衣 Yuiすぐに修理に出そうね。Sugu ni shūri ni dasō ne.Let's send it for repair right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spark” translations and entries 火花, スパーク, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries スパーク, 火花, CC BY-SA 4.0.
