rainbow
On'yomi (音読み)
- コウ
Kun'yomi (訓読み)
- にじ
About this kanji
The kanji 「虹」 means "rainbow" and is typically used as a noun. A common reading for this kanji is "にじ" in kun'yomi, while the on'yomi reading is "コウ." You’ll often see it in compounds like「虹色」(にじいろ), which means "rainbow-colored," and「副虹」(ふくにじ), meaning "secondary rainbow." Another example is「虹彩」(こうさい), which refers to the "iris" of the eye. This kanji symbolizes beauty and hope, often associated with rainbows appearing after rain. A helpful note is that while it’s often seen in casual conversation, it also appears in poetry and art, emphasizing the aesthetic qualities of rainbows.
Example sentences
空に大きな虹が出た。
A big rainbow appeared in the sky.
Meanings across languages
- English
- rainbow
- Tiếng Việt
- cầu vồng
- 日本語
- 虹
- 한국어
- 무지개
- 中文
- 彩虹
- id
- pelangi
- th
- รุ้ง
- es
- arcoíris
- fr
- arc-en-ciel
- de
- Regenbogen
- pt
- arco-íris
Common compounds
- 主虹しゅにじprimary rainbow
- 虹彩こうさいiris
- 虹色にじいろrainbow-colored, rainbow-coloured
- 副虹ふくにじsecondary rainbow
- 虹霓こうげいrainbow
- 白虹はっこうwhite rainbow
- 虹鱒にじますrainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
- 虹梁こうりょうarched beam used in shrine and temple construction
Want to actually learn this kanji?
The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.