Meaning
煙 means smoke, fumes, or steam — the haze that rises when something burns or meets intense heat. Smoke is fleeting by nature: it drifts, thins, and disappears. That quality gives 煙 a poetic edge in classical Japanese literature, where it often stands for impermanence.
煙 is built from two parts. On the left, the radical 火 (fire). On the right, the component 垔 — which pairs 西 (a covered-vessel shape) with 土 (earth/soil) — suggesting something smothered or sealed. The picture: flames pressed down by earth, forced to push smoke upward rather than burn freely. That idea of suppressed fire also explains why 煙 carries connotations of concealment, not just combustion.
With 13 strokes, 煙 is a Joyo kanji taught at the middle-school level. It shows up on cigarette warnings, factory signs, cooking descriptions, and atmospheric nature writing. N3 learners will encounter it constantly in real-world Japanese.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
エン (en) is the on'yomi, drawn from Middle Chinese. It dominates formal compound words (熟語, jukugo) and turns up constantly in written Japanese — on no-smoking signs, official notices, and environmental reports.
- 禁煙 (kin-en) — no smoking; quitting smoking
- 喫煙 (kitsu-en) — (act of) smoking
- 煙突 (en-totsu) — chimney, smokestack
- 煙幕 (en-maku) — smokescreen (literal and figurative)
- 発煙 (hatsu-en) — smoke emission
- 黒煙 (koku-en) — black smoke
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The everyday noun is けむり (kemuri). Its verb form けむる (kemuru) means "to smoke" or "to be smoky." Older literary variants — けぶり (keburi) and けぶる (keburu) — appear in classical poetry and historical texts. Worth knowing separately: the adjective けむたい (kemutai) means "smoky" but also describes, figuratively, a person who is strict or suffocating to be around.
- 煙 (kemuri) — smoke (noun)
- 煙 (keburi) — smoke (archaic/literary)
- 煙る (kemuru) — to smoke, to emit smoke
- 煙たい (kemutai) — smoky; (fig.) hard to approach
Common Words & Compounds
煙 spans everyday conversation and formal writing. Here are the most useful compounds, grouped by context.
Smoking and Tobacco
- 煙草 (tabako) — tobacco; cigarette
- 喫煙 (kitsu-en) — smoking
- 禁煙 (kin-en) — no smoking; quitting smoking
- 受動喫煙 (judou kitsu-en) — secondhand smoking
Industrial and Physical Smoke
- 煙突 (en-totsu) — chimney, smokestack
- 黒煙 (koku-en) — black smoke
- 白煙 (haku-en) — white smoke
- 発煙 (hatsu-en) — smoke emission
- 煙霧 (en-mu) — smog; smoke and mist
Figurative and Military
- 煙幕 (en-maku) — smokescreen (literal and figurative)
- 煙滅 (en-metsu) — vanishing like smoke; obliteration
Descriptive / Adjectival
- 煙たい (kemutai) — smoky; stifling, hard to be around
- 煙い (kemui) — smoky (adjective)
Example Sentences
工場の煙突から煙が出ています。
Koujou no entotsu kara kemuri ga dete imasu.
Smoke is rising from the factory chimney.
煙が目にしみて、涙が出てきた。
Kemuri ga me ni shimite, namida ga dete kita.
The smoke stung my eyes and I started tearing up.
このレストランは禁煙です。
Kono resutoran wa kin-en desu.
This restaurant is non-smoking.
山火事で黒い煙が空を覆った。
Yamakaji de kuroi kemuri ga sora wo ootta.
Black smoke from the wildfire blanketed the sky.
電車の中では喫煙できません。
Densha no naka de wa kitsu-en dekimasen.
You cannot smoke on the train.
煙のにおいがして、火事だとわかった。
Kemuri no nioi ga shite, kaji da to wakatta.
I caught the smell of smoke and knew something was burning.
彼は煙幕を張って本当のことを隠した。
Kare wa enmaku wo hatte hontou no koto wo kakushita.
He threw up a smokescreen to hide the truth.
焼き鳥の煙がいい匂いを漂わせていた。
Yakitori no kemuri ga ii nioi wo tadayowasete ita.
The smoke from the grilled chicken drifted over carrying a mouthwatering aroma.
受動喫煙は健康に悪い影響を与える。
Judou kitsu-en wa kenkou ni warui eikyou wo ataeru.
Secondhand smoke harms your health.
Memory Tip
Break 煙 into its parts: 火 (fire) on the left, and on the right, 土 (earth) over 西 (a covered shape). Picture a campfire smothered with dirt — the flames are trapped, so smoke forces its way out instead. That image of suppressed fire pushing upward is 煙.
For the on'yomi エン, link it to "emanate" — smoke emanates from fire. With both images in mind, this character rarely slips away.