Translation guide
The glowing remains of a fire after the flames have died down. In Japanese, this is most commonly expressed with specific nouns, but can also be described with phrases.
The hot, glowing coals or ashes left after a fire has burned down.
The most common and natural word for embers, referring to the glowing, hot coals or charcoal left after a fire.
熾きがまだ赤く光っている。
The embers are still glowing red.
熾きに薪をくべた。
I added firewood to the embers.
The dying but still hot remnants of a fire, often used figuratively for lingering feelings or situations.
A literary or formal word for embers, often used in figurative contexts to mean lingering remnants of something (e.g., a conflict or emotion).
熾き (oki) is the standard word for glowing embers, especially from charcoal or wood. 残り火 (nokoribi) focuses on the fire that remains, which may include small flames. 燃えさし (moesashi) refers to a partially burned object, not the embers as a whole.
Literally 'remaining fire', this word emphasizes the fire that is left after the main flames have gone out. It can refer to both visible flames and glowing embers.
キャンプファイヤーの残り火を消した。
I put out the embers of the campfire.
Refers to something partially burned, like a piece of wood or coal that is still burning. It can be used for embers but is less common for the general concept.
燃えさしの薪がくすぶっていた。
The partially burned firewood was smoldering.
戦火の余燼がまだくすぶっている。
The embers of war are still smoldering.