1.
flammable; combustible
Capable of catching fire and burning. Used as a prefix or modifier for materials, waste, and substances.
可燃ごみは火曜日に出す。
Combustible garbage is put out on Tuesdays.
この倉庫には可燃物が多いので火気厳禁だ。
This warehouse has many flammable materials, so open flames are strictly prohibited.
可燃ごみと不燃ごみを正しく分別しないと、回収してもらえないことがある。
If you don't properly sort combustible and non-combustible garbage, it may not be collected.
Most commonly encountered in the compound 可燃ごみ (combustible garbage/waste), which every resident in Japan needs to know for trash sorting. Composed of 可 (possible) and 燃 (burn).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 可燃ごみ — combustible garbage
- 可燃物 — flammable materials
- 可燃性ガス — flammable gas
- 可燃性液体 — flammable liquid
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 不燃 — non-flammable, non-combustible (its antonym; 不燃ごみ = non-combustible garbage)
- 燃えるごみ — burnable garbage (colloquial equivalent of 可燃ごみ)
- 引火性 — ignitable; flash point (more technical; describes ease of ignition)
CULTURAL NOTE:
Japan's garbage sorting system requires residents to separate trash into categories including 可燃ごみ (combustible), 不燃ごみ (non-combustible), 資源ごみ (recyclable), and 粗大ごみ (oversized items). Collection days and rules vary by municipality.