Japanese word

輪郭

Pronunciation

Romajirinkaku

Meaning

  • nounoutline

Example

建物の輪郭が夜空に浮かびます。tate mono no rin kaku ga yo zora ni u ka bi ma su

The outline of the building stands out against the night sky.

Illustration for 輪郭 (outline)

More examples

霧の中では山の輪郭がぼやけて見えます。kiri no naka de wa yama no rin kaku ga bo ya ke te mi e ma su

The outline of the mountain looks blurred in the fog.

Core concept

Marks the boundary that separates a thing's outer form from the space around it.

Common phrases

  • 輪郭がはっきりするrin kaku ga ha kki ri su ru

    become clearly defined

  • 輪郭が浮かぶrin kaku ga u ka bu

    emerge in outline

  • 輪郭がぼやけるrin kaku ga bo ya ke ru

    become blurred

Similar words

外形gaikei: The outside shape of a person or thing viewed as a whole.
外郭gaikaku: The outer boundary or enclosing structure of a thing or area.
形状keijō: The overall form or arrangement of a person or thing.

Definition in Japanese

物の外側を取り巻いて形を示す線や、その線で表される外形。mono no soto gawa o to ri ma i te katachi o shime su sen ya so no sen de arawa sa re ru gai kei

Word origin

The noun 輪郭 (rinkaku) is a Sino-Japanese compound of 輪 (rin, "ring") and 郭 (kaku, "outer enclosure"), giving the sense of an enclosing boundary.

Usage tips

  • In Japanese, 輪郭 (rinkaku) can describe not only a physical outline but also the emerging shape of an idea or argument.

Other meanings

  • contournoun
  • silhouettenoun

Word lists with this word