Japanese symbol for “kindling”
薪
まき
Romaji: maki
piece(s) of firewood (esp. chopped or split from logs)
In Japanese, kindling is 薪, read まき (maki).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n piece(s) of firewood (esp. chopped or split from logs)
- n kindling (twigs, branches, etc.); firewood
Written forms: 薪、焚き木、たき木. Readings: まき、たきぎ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “kindling”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 焚きつけ | たきつけ takitsuke | kindling; firelighter |
| 燃え種 | もえくさ moekusa | kindling |
| 榾 | ほた hota | kindling; tinder; chips of firewood |
| 榾木 | ほたぎ hotagi | kindling; tinder; chips of firewood |
| 火入れ | ひいれ hiire | first lighting (e.g. furnace); firing (e.g. forest); kindling |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 薪炭 | しんたん shintan | wood and charcoal; fuel |
| 薪割り | まきわり makiwari | hatchet; axe |
| 臥薪嘗胆 | がしんしょうたん gashinshoutan | going through thick and thin to attain one's objective; enduring unspeakable hardships for the sake of vengeance |
| 薪能 | たきぎのう takiginou | noh theater performed at night by a fire |
| 薪水 | しんすい shinsui | fuel and water; firewood and water |
| 薪拾い | たきぎひろい takigihiroi | firewood gathering |
See also: Chinese symbol for “kindling”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.