Chinese word

灿烂

Pronunciation

Pinyincàn làn

Meaning

  • adjectivebrilliant

Example

晚会上的烟花格外灿烂。wǎn huì shàng de yān huā gé wài càn làn

The fireworks at the party are especially brilliant.

Illustration for 灿烂 (brilliant)

More examples

孩子们看到阳光，脸上露出灿烂的笑容。hái zi men kàn dào yáng guāng liǎn shàng lù chū càn làn de xiào róng

When the children see the sunlight, radiant smiles appear on their faces.

Core concept

A vivid burst of light or color that fills a scene and immediately catches the eye.

Common phrases

  • 灿烂的笑容càn làn de xiào róng

    radiant smile

  • 阳光灿烂yáng guāng càn làn

    bright sunshine

  • 前途灿烂qián tú càn làn

    bright prospects

Similar words

辉煌huī huáng: Magnificent and glorious, especially when describing a great achievement or a grand scene.
耀眼yào yǎn: Extremely bright and eye-catching, with a dazzling effect on the viewer.
鲜艳xiān yàn: Vivid, fresh, and lively in color.
明亮míng liàng: Bright because there is plenty of light, making a place or object easy to see.

Definition in Chinese

形容光彩夺目、明亮耀眼或色彩鲜艳的样子，常用于描述灯光、烟花、笑容等非常显眼的景象。xíng róng guāng cǎi duó mù míng liàng yào yǎn huò sè cǎi xiān yàn de yàng zi cháng yòng yú miáo shù dēng guāng yān huā xiào róng děng fēi cháng xián yǎn de jǐng xiàng

Word origin

灿烂 (cànlàn, "brilliant") combines 灿 (càn, "bright") and 烂 (làn, "shining") as a literary pairing for intense, eye-catching radiance.

Usage tips

  • English speakers often use bright for ordinary light, but this word marks an unusually striking visual effect, such as a dazzling display or a radiant smile.

Other meanings

  • splendidadjective
  • vividadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word