薪 — “Fuel / Firewood / Kindling” in Japanese

Master (高手)しん, たきぎ, まき

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“Fuel / Firewood / Kindling” in Japanese is 薪, read shin, takigi, maki (しん, たきぎ, まき). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 薪 (firewood).

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What does 薪 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	薪
Meaning	Fuel / Firewood / Kindling
Readings	しん, たきぎ, まき
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	薪 (firewood)

How to read 薪

薪 is read shin (しん) or takigi (たきぎ) or maki (まき) depending on the word.

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Kanji read the same way as 薪

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28