沸く
わく
to boil, to grow hot
Waku (沸く) is a godan verb meaning "to boil, to grow hot". Its polite form is 沸きます (wakimasu), its te form is 沸いて (waite), its past form is 沸いた (waita), and its negative form is 沸かない (wakanai).
Godan verbJLPT N4
Waku (沸く) conjugation quick reference
沸く means "to boil, to grow hot". Its main forms are listed below, with links to the grammar pattern behind each form.
Waku example sentences
お湯がわきます。
The water boils.
お風呂がわかなかった。
The bath didn't boil (heat up).
鍋の中がまだわいていません。
The pot is not boiling yet.
How to use Waku: grammar notes
•沸く is used for things like water or bathwater that boil or heat up on their own, so it usually appears with the subject particle が (e.g., お湯が沸きました = The water boiled).
•Don’t use 沸く with a direct object and を—since the water is doing the action itself, saying お湯を沸く is incorrect (use お湯を沸かす if you are boiling it yourself).
•To talk about something that just started boiling, you can say 沸いてきた (e.g., お湯が沸いてきた = The water has started to boil).
•JLPT N4 level
Common phrases with Waku
お湯が沸く（おゆがわく）
The water is boiling / The water boils
風呂が沸く（ふろがわく）
The bath is ready / The bathwater is hot
会場が沸く（かいじょうがわく）
The venue erupts (in excitement/applause)
Waku (沸く) conjugation table
| Form | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Forms | ||
| Dictionary Form | 沸く | waku |
| Masu Form | 沸きます | wakimasu |
| Te Form | 沸いて | waite |
| Past Form | 沸いた | waita |
| Negative Form | 沸かない | wakanai |
| Past Negative | 沸かなかった | wakanakatta |
| Polite Forms | ||
| Polite Present | 沸きます | wakimasu |
| Polite Past | 沸きました | wakimashita |
| Polite Negative | 沸きません | wakimasen |
| Polite Past Negative | 沸きませんでした | wakimasendeshita |
| Advanced Forms | ||
| Potential Form | 沸ける | wakeru |
| Passive Form | 沸かれる | wakareru |
| Causative Form | 沸かせる | wakaseru |
| Causative Passive | 沸かされる | wakasareru |
| Volitional Form | 沸こう | wakou |
| Imperative Form | 沸け | wake |
| Conditional Forms | ||
| Conditional (ば) | 沸けば | wakeba |
| Conditional (たら) | 沸いたら | waitara |
| Other Forms | ||
| Progressive Form | 沸いている | waiteiru |
| Desire (たい) | 沸きたい | wakitai |
| Prohibition | 沸くな | wakuna |