蒸す
むす · musu · JLPT N3 · verb-godan
to steam
🥟 musu sounds like muggy: steamy, sultry air that cooks you slowly
The kanji 蒸 has fire (灬) along its bottom edge, under the grass radical (艹). That fits the meaning: heat rising up through food. Dumplings are often steamed, as in 蒸し餃子 (mushi-gyōza), and humid weather is 蒸し暑い (mushiatsui), muggy and hot.
蒸 — grass 艹 + 丞 (phonetic) + fire 灬
Originally depicted plant stalks (艹) being heated over fire (灬), with 丞 providing the sound. The character first meant rising steam from burning hemp stalks used as torches, then broadened to mean steaming food or vapor rising. Modern uses extend metaphorically to 'flourishing' or 'thriving.'
ふす · fusu · JLPT N2 · verb-godan
to be sultry
🥟 蒸す (musu) = steam; 蒸し暑い (mushiatsui) = steamy hot, humid heat
Note: the reading is むす (musu), not ふす (fusu). It shares the root 蒸 (steam) with 蒸気 (jōki, steam vapor) and 蒸し暑い (mushiatsui, muggy hot weather).
蒸 — grass 艹 + 丞 (phonetic) + fire 灬
Originally depicted plant stalks (艹) being heated over fire (灬), with 丞 providing the sound. The character first meant rising steam from burning hemp stalks used as torches, then broadened to mean steaming food or vapor rising. Modern uses extend metaphorically to 'flourishing' or 'thriving.'