Japanese word

稲妻

Pronunciation

Romajiinazuma

Meaning

  • nounlightning

Example

空に稲妻が走ります。sora ni inazuma ga hashi ri ma su

Lightning streaks across the sky.

Illustration for 稲妻 (lightning)

More examples

突然、稲妻が海を照らしました。totsu zen inazuma ga umi o te ra shi ma shi ta

Suddenly, a flash of lightning lit up the sea.

Core concept

A powerful flash of electricity suddenly appears in the sky and illuminates the surrounding clouds.

Common phrases

  • 稲妻が走るinazuma ga hashi ru

    lightning streaks

Similar words

稲光inabikari: A bright flash of lightning seen in the sky.
雷光raikō: The bright light produced by a flash of lightning.

Definition in Japanese

空中の放電によって一瞬現れる、空を照らす強い光。kū chū no hō den ni yo tte is shun arawa re ru sora o te ra su tsuyo i hikari

Word origin

稲妻 (inazuma) is a native Japanese compound of 稲 (ina, "rice plant") and 妻 (tsuma, "spouse"), based on the traditional idea that lightning is linked to the growth of rice.

Usage tips

  • In English, lightning is usually treated as an uncountable phenomenon, but one visible event can be called a lightning bolt.

Other meanings

  • flash of lightningnoun
  • lightning boltnoun

Word lists with this word