The Meaning of yuge [湯気] In Japanese

湯気
ゆげ
Romaji: yuge N5

What does 湯気 mean?

Translation and Meaning

steam, vapor

Definition

湯気 means steam or vapor rising from hot water or other heated liquids. It refers to the visible mist produced when liquid is heated, such as in tea, soup, kettles, or baths, and is a common descriptor in cooking, heating, and everyday scenes.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Visible vapor emitted by boiling or heating liquids, especially in cooking or domestic settings.
  • Descriptive usage in writing to convey warmth, aroma, or atmosphere around heated vessels like kettles and teapots.
  • In some contexts it can describe steam in machinery or laboratory settings when discussing condensation or heat transfer.

Etymology

湯 hot water; 気 air, vapor. This is a native Japanese compound formed by combining the kun readings of the two kanji, with rendaku turning ki to ge in the pronunciation, yielding yuge.

Composition

  • 湯 — hot water
  • 気 — air, vapor
  • Combined meaning — steam that rises from heated water

Usage

湯気 is used in casual and neutral contexts to describe steam from hot liquids; common in cooking, tea making, and baths, as well as in descriptive writing; in formal or technical contexts, the more general term 蒸気 may be used depending on precision.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine a kettle releasing a cloud; the hot water (湯) makes the second character breathe out as vapor, and the ki in 気 becomes a voiced ge in pronunciation, yielding yuge.

Variations

  • 蒸気 (じょうき, jōki) — general term for steam or vapor
  • 水蒸気 (すいじょうき, suijōki) — water vapor
  • ゆげ (yuge) — reading variation; same meaning

Example Phrases

  • 朝、熱い コーヒーを淹れて 湯気が 部屋を 暖かく 包む。
    Asa, atsui kōhī o irete yuge ga heya o atatakaku tsutsumu.
    In the morning, I brew hot coffee, and the steam warms the room.
    Lista:
    • 朝、熱い (asa, atsui) – morning, hot
    • コーヒーを淹れて (kōhī o irete) – brewing coffee
    • 湯気が (yuge ga) – steam
    • 部屋を (heya o) – the room
    • 暖かく (atatakaku) – warmly
    • 包む。 (tsutsumu) – wraps
    The target word is 「湯気」, which acts as the subject marked by 「が」; the phrase 「部屋を暖かく包む」 describes the steam warming the room.
湯気