1.
bonfire; campfire; open fire
A fire made outdoors, typically for warmth, cooking, burning waste, or enjoyment. Associated with camping, autumn activities, and traditional Japanese winter scenes.
Writing
Also written 焚火 or たき火. 焚く is outside the standard kanji list, so the mixed and all-kana spellings are common in ordinary writing.
Common collocations
- 焚き火をする: to have a fire going
- 焚き火を囲む: to gather around a fire
- 焚き火を消す: to put a fire out
- 焚き火台: a portable fire stand, standard camping equipment now that burning directly on the ground is discouraged
Cultural note
焚き火 carries strong nostalgic associations with winter — the 1941 children's song 「たきび」 has children warming their hands at a neighbour's fire, with 焼き芋 roasting in the embers. In practice, open burning is now restricted in most urban and residential areas on fire-safety and air-quality grounds, so the word is met more often at campsites than in gardens.