1.
iron pot, cauldron
A large metal cooking pot, traditionally made of iron, used for cooking rice and other dishes.
釜でご飯を炊く。
Cook rice in an iron pot.
昔は家ごとに大きな釜があった。
In the old days, every house had a large iron pot.
おばあちゃんは今でも釜で炊いたご飯が一番おいしいと言う。
Grandma still says rice cooked in an iron pot tastes the best.
2.
boiler, kiln
Used in compounds to refer to various types of furnaces or kilns, such as pottery kilns.
この窯は陶芸用です。
This kiln is for pottery.
窯 uses a different kanji for kiln/furnace
窯の温度を上げてください。
Please raise the temperature of the kiln.
古い窯を修理して、もう一度使えるようにした。
They repaired the old kiln so it could be used again.
釜 refers to a traditional iron pot or cauldron used for cooking, particularly for rice. In modern Japan, 炊飯器 (rice cooker) has largely replaced the traditional 釜.
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- 釜を炊く (to cook in a pot)
- ご飯を釜で炊く (to cook rice in a traditional pot)
- 風呂釜 (bathtub heater)
RELATED KANJI:
- 釜: iron pot for cooking
- 窯: kiln for pottery or bricks (same reading, different kanji)