thunder, lightning bolt

About this kanji

The kanji 雷 primarily means "thunder" or "lightning bolt." It can be used as a noun, especially when referring to thunder in everyday conversations. Some common compounds include 地雷 (じらい), meaning "land mine," and 雷雨 (らいう), which translates to "thunderstorm"—a combination of thunder and rain. Another interesting compound is 落雷 (らくらい), meaning "lightning strike." When you hear a loud rumble during a storm, you might be reminded of this kanji. Keep in mind that 雷 also evokes a sense of power, reflecting how storms can dramatically change the atmosphere.

Example sentences

• 雷が近くで鳴っている。

  Thunder is rumbling nearby.

Meanings across languages

English

thunder, lightning bolt

Tiếng Việt

sấm, sét

日本語

雷, 落雷

한국어

천둥, 번개

中文

雷, 闪电

id

guntur

th

ฟ้าร้อง

es

trueno

fr

tonnerre

de

Donner

pt

trovão

Common compounds

• 地雷じらいland mine, topic that sets someone off, sensitive topic
• 機雷きらい(sea) mine
• 雷雨らいうthunderstorm, thundershower
• 落雷らくらいlightning strike, lightning bolt
• 魚雷ぎょらいtorpedo
• 雷鳴らいめいthunder, thunderclap, crash of thunder
• 雷雲らいうんthundercloud
• 遠雷えんらいdistant thunder

Words using this kanji

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