HSK · Level 10
135 words
Chinese word
闪电
Pronunciation
Pinyinshǎn diàn
Meaning
- nounlightning
Example
闪电划破了夜空。shǎn diàn huà pò le yè kōng
Lightning streaked across the night sky.
More examples
突然，一道闪电照亮了海面。tū rán yí dào shǎn diàn zhào liàng le hǎi miàn
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning lit up the surface of the sea.
Core concept
A brief burst of light appears in the storm clouds, then vanishes before the eye can follow it.
Common phrases
一道闪电yí dào shǎn diàn
a bolt of lightning
闪电般的速度shǎn diàn bān de sù dù
lightning speed
闪电战shǎn diàn zhàn
lightning war
Similar words
雷léi: A loud rumble from the sky that comes with a storm.
雷声léi shēng: The noise made by thunder as it rolls across the sky.
雷电léi diàn: A weather condition with thunder and lightning appearing together.
Definition in Chinese
天空中因云层内电荷突然中和而出现的短暂亮光现象，通常伴有雷鸣并很快消失。tiān kōng zhōng yīn yún céng nèi diàn hè tū rán zhōng hé ér chū xiàn de duǎn zàn liàng guāng xiàn xiàng tōng cháng bàn yǒu léi míng bìng hěn kuài xiāo shī
Word origin
The compound 闪电 (shǎndiàn, "lightning") joins 闪 (shǎn, "flash") with 电 (diàn, "electricity"), describing electricity as a sudden flash.
Usage tips
- Since light travels faster than sound, the flash can be seen before the thunder is heard, a useful fact in storm descriptions.
Related words
- 闪电战shǎn diàn zhànlightning warnoun
- 闪电式shǎn diàn shìlightning-fastadjective