Meaning and Usage
The verb 焼ける (やける) primarily means "to burn" or "to be roasted/baked." It is an intransitive verb, so it describes something being cooked, baked, or burned by itself rather than someone actively burning it.
Common Contexts
Cooking and baking: 焼ける is often used to describe bread, meat, or other food items being cooked or baked, e.g., パンが焼ける (the bread is baked).
Sunburn or skin tanning: 日焼け (ひやけ) refers to sunburn, and 焼ける describes the skin getting burned or tanned by the sun.
Burning or scorching: 焼ける can describe something accidentally burning or getting scorched, such as food or objects.
Collocations and Patterns
- パンが焼ける: bread is baked
- 肌が焼ける: skin gets sunburned or tanned
- 焦げて焼ける: to burn and get scorched
Usage Notes
- 焼ける is intransitive; the transitive counterpart is 焼く (やく), meaning "to burn something" or "to grill/bake something."
- Be careful not to confuse 焼ける with 焼く; 焼ける focuses on the state of being cooked or burned, not the action of cooking.
- It is a common verb in everyday conversation related to food preparation and describing sunburn.
This verb is useful for talking about cooking results, sun exposure effects, and accidental burning.