The Meaning of taku [炊く] In Japanese

炊く
たく
Romaji: taku N5

What does 炊く mean?

Translation and Meaning

to cook, to boil (rice/grains), to steam

Definition

What does 炊く mean? It means to cook food by applying heat with water, especially rice, using a pot or rice cooker; the core concept is transforming raw grains into cooked edible food through heat and moisture.

Type

verb (godan)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • to cook grains by heating with water, typically through boiling or steaming
  • to prepare rice or other grains in everyday cooking, involving turning raw ingredients into a finished dish
  • used in related kitchen terms and expressions that refer to the act or state of cooking, such as generic cooking processes

Etymology

炊 is a phono-semantic kanji formed with the fire radical 灬 and a semantic element linked to heating and cooking; its Japanese reading is taku, preserved as the modern pronunciation, reflecting a native development rather than a direct loanword.

Composition

炊 combines the fire radical with a semantic element tied to heating to cook; when combined with the verb ending taku plus く, it yields the action of cooking by heat, especially rice or grains.

Usage

A transitive verb taking a direct object marked with を; used across casual and formal speech, in recipes and kitchen discourse, and in everyday instruction for cooking rice and other grains; its polite forms extend the same meaning to formal contexts.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture steam rising from a pot and a small flame icon beneath the pot to recall that炊く is about cooking with heat.

Variations

  • 煮る (niru) – to simmer or boil, a different cooking method
  • 炊飯 (suihan) – rice cooking as a noun or process

Example Phrases

  • 今夜は母がご飯を炊く予定だ。
    kon’ya wa haha ga gohan o taku yotei da.
    My mother plans to cook rice tonight.
    Lista:
    • 今夜は (kon’ya wa) – tonight
    • 母が (haha ga) – mother
    • ご飯を (gohan o) – rice (object marker)
    • 炊く (taku) – to cook
    • 予定だ (yotei da) – is planned
    Core grammar: 炊く is a transitive verb taking を with its object; here 「ご飯を炊く」 means ‘to cook rice’; 今夜は sets the time frame and 予定だ expresses intention.
炊く