Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 蒸気 | jōki | [d͡ʑo̞ːkʲi] (narrow) |
| 湯気 | yuge | [jɯ̟ɡe̞] (narrow) |
| 水蒸気 | suijōki | [sɨiʑo̞ːkʲi] (narrow) |
In Japanese, the word for steam changes depending on whether you are talking about visible vapor from food, industrial steam or the scientific phenomenon of water vapor. Use 湯気 for the visible steam rising from hot food, drinks or baths, such as a bowl of ramen or a cup of tea. Use 蒸気 for steam in technical, industrial or scientific contexts, like steam engines. For the most precise scientific term for water vapor, particularly in chemistry or meteorology, use 水蒸気.
What does it mean word for word?
The scientific term 水蒸気 is composed of 水 (water) and 蒸気 (steam/vapor).
Which one should you use?
The forms differ by context and visibility: 湯気 is the common, informal term for the visible steam seen rising from hot objects like food or baths. 蒸気 is a more formal and technical term used for industrial steam or thermodynamics. 水蒸気 is the specific scientific term meaning water vapor.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
jōki
Did you know?
- In Japanese pop culture and anime, the sight of 湯気 rising from a bowl of ramen is often used as a visual shorthand to evoke a feeling of warmth, comfort and nostalgia.
- The word 湯気 contains the character 湯, which specifically refers to hot water used for bathing or medicinal purposes, rather than just any hot liquid.
- The kanji for 'steam' in 蒸気, 蒸, can also be found in words related to 'distilling' or 'steaming' food, like 'steamed buns'.
Examples in context
- 水は沸騰すると蒸気になる。When water boils, it turns into steam.This sentence shows how water turns into 蒸気 when boiling.Tatoeba #5185659 by aoi0913, translation #5260038 by pinkfreud
- 湯気で眼鏡が曇っちゃった。The steam has fogged my glasses.This sentence uses 湯気 to describe steam fogging up glasses.Tatoeba #10561262 by small_snow, translation #268556 by CK
- 明け方、私たちは蒸気機関車の汽笛で目を覚ました。We were wakened by the whistle of the steam locomotive at dawn.This sentence uses 蒸気 to refer to a steam locomotive.Tatoeba #1799413 by bunbuku, translation #1263685 by CK
- Onsen ni yunoki ga mieru. (温泉に湯の気が見える。)I can see steam rising from the hot springs.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiroto and Misaki are cooking together in the kitchen.
- 大翔 Hiroto鍋からすごい蒸気が出てるよ。Nabe kara sugoi jōki ga deteru yo.A lot of steam is coming out of the pot.
- 美咲 Misaki本当だね。火を弱めようか。Hontō da ne. Hi o yowameyō ka.You're right. Should we turn down the heat?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、蒸気で顔が熱いし。Un, jōki de kao ga atsui shi.Yeah, my face feels hot from the steam.
- 美咲 Misaki気をつけてね。火傷しないでよ。Ki o tsukete ne. Yakedo shinaide yo.Be careful. Don't burn yourself.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “steam” translations and entries 蒸気, 湯気, 水蒸気, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
