虹

虹 U+8679, 虹 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-8679 ← 虸 [U+8678] CJK Unified Ideographs 虺 → [U+867A]

Translingual

Han character

A rainbow.

虹 (radical 142, 虫+3, 9 strokes, cangjie input 中戈一 (LIM), four-corner 5111₀, composition ⿰虫工)

Derived characters

• 渱, 𬁅, 𫕩, 𬀒

References

• KangXi: page 1076, character 40
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 32830
• Dae Jaweon: page 1545, character 23
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2834, character 8
• Unihan data for U+8679

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Chinese

simp. and trad.		虹
alternative forms		𧈫 𧈬 𧌫 𧍺 𧊋 𧈫 𧈬 𧌫 𧍺 𧊋 蝎

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 虹
Shang	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Oracle bone script	Small seal script

Characters in the same phonetic series (工) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
缸	*kroːŋ, *ɡroːŋ
篢	*kluːmʔ, *koːŋ
贑	*kluːmʔ
涳	*ŋr'oːŋ, *kʰroːŋ, *kʰoːŋ
江	*kroːŋ
肛	*kroːŋ, *qʰroːŋ
扛	*kroːŋ
杠	*kroːŋ
豇	*kroːŋ
茳	*kroːŋ
釭	*kroːŋ, *koːŋ, *kuːŋ
矼	*kroːŋ
玒	*kroːŋ, *koːŋ
虹	*kroːŋs, *koːŋs, *ɡoːŋ
腔	*kʰroːŋ
崆	*kʰroːŋ, *kʰoːŋ
羫	*kʰroːŋ
控	*kʰroːŋ, *kʰoːŋs
椌	*kʰroːŋ, *kʰoːŋ
悾	*kʰroːŋ, *kʰoːŋ, *kʰoːŋs
跫	*kʰroːŋ, *kʰoŋ, *ɡoŋ
啌	*qʰroːŋ
谾	*qʰroːŋ, *qʰoːŋ
舡	*qʰroːŋ
缻	*ɡroːŋ
項	*ɡroːŋʔ
屸	*ɡ·roːŋ
功	*koːŋ
工	*koːŋ
疘	*koːŋ
魟	*koːŋ, *qʰoːŋ, *ɡoːŋ
攻	*koːŋ, *kuːŋ
愩	*koːŋ
碽	*koːŋ
貢	*koːŋs
羾	*koːŋs
空	*kʰoːŋ, *kʰoːŋs
箜	*kʰoːŋ
硿	*kʰoːŋ
埪	*kʰoːŋ
鵼	*kʰoːŋ
倥	*kʰoːŋ, *kʰoːŋʔ, *kʰoːŋs
鞚	*kʰoːŋs
叿	*qʰoːŋ
嗊	*qʰoːŋʔ
訌	*ɡoːŋ
紅	*ɡoːŋ
仜	*ɡoːŋ
葒	*ɡoːŋ
渱	*ɡoːŋ
鴻	*ɡoːŋ, *ɡoːŋʔ
汞	*ɡoːŋʔ
澒	*ɡoːŋʔ
鞏	*koŋʔ
巩	*koŋʔ
銎	*kʰoŋ, *qʰoŋ
恐	*kʰoŋʔ, *kʰoŋs
蛩	*ɡoŋ
筇	*ɡoŋ
桏	*ɡoŋ
邛	*ɡoŋ

Originally pictographic (象形) in the oracle bone script. The ancient Chinese regarded the rainbow as a two-headed creature.

In the seal script, it has become a phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *kroːŋs, *koːŋs, *ɡoːŋ): semantic 虫 (“insect; creature”) + phonetic 工 (OC *koːŋ).

Etymology

Probably non-Sino-Tibetan; compare Proto-Mien *kluŋᴬ (“rainbow”), Thai รุ้ง (rúng, “rainbow”), Zhuang duzdoengz (“rainbow”), saidoengz (“rainbow”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Benedict (1986) and Carr (1990) relate this to 龍 (OC *b·roŋ, *mroːŋ, “dragon”) and 紅 (OC *ɡoːŋ, “red”).

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): hóng, jiàng, gàng (hong², jiang⁴, gang⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄨㄥˊ, ㄐㄧㄤˋ, ㄍㄤˋ

  (Chengdu, SP): gang⁴ / hong²

  (Dungan, Cyrillic): гон (gon, III)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou, Jyutping): hung⁴

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): huung³

• Gan (Wiktionary): gong⁴ / fung⁴
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): fùng

  (Meixian, Guangdong): fung²

• Jin (Wiktionary): jion² / hung¹
• Min Bei (KCR): gô̤ng / ǒng
• Min Dong (BUC): kê̤ṳng / hùng
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): khēng / khěng / hông

  (Teochew, Peng'im): kêng⁶ / hong⁵

• Wu (Wiktionary): hhon (T3)
• Xiang (Wiktionary): gan⁴ / hong²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese, literary, standard in Mainland and Taiwan)⁺
    • Pinyin: hóng
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄨㄥˊ
    • Wade–Giles: hung2
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: horng
    • Tongyong Pinyin: hóng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xʊŋ³⁵/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, colloquial, standard in Mainland)⁺
    • Pinyin: jiàng
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄤˋ
    • Wade–Giles: chiang4
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jianq
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jiàng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕjɑŋ⁵¹/
      
  • (Beijing dialect)⁺
    • Pinyin: gàng
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄤˋ
    • Wade–Giles: kang4
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ganq
    • Tongyong Pinyin: gàng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɑŋ⁵¹/

Note: jiàng, gàng - only used as a standalone word.

• • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: gang⁴ / hong²
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: gang / xung
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaŋ²¹³/, /xoŋ²¹/

Note:

• gang4 - vernacular;
• hong2 - literary.

• (Dungan)
  • Cyrillic: гон (gon, III)
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): //

  (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

Cantonese

• (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  • Jyutping: hung⁴
  • Yale: hùhng
  • Cantonese Pinyin: hung⁴
  • Guangdong Romanization: hung⁴
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hʊŋ²¹/
• (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  • Wiktionary: huung³
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɵŋ²²/

Gan

• (Nanchang)
  • Wiktionary: gong⁴ / fung⁴
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔŋ³⁵/, /fuŋ³⁵/

Note:

• gong4 - vernacular;
• fung4 - literary.

Hakka

• (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: fùng
  • Hakka Romanization System: fungˇ
  • Hagfa Pinyim: fung²
  • Sinological IPA: /fuŋ¹¹/
• (Meixian)
  • Guangdong: fung²
  • Sinological IPA: /fʊŋ¹¹/

Jin

• (Taiyuan)⁺
  • Wiktionary: jion² / hung¹
  • Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡ɕiɒ̃⁵³/, /xũŋ¹¹/

Note:

• jion2 - vernacular;
• hung1 - literary.

Min Bei

• (Jian'ou)
  • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: gô̤ng / ǒng
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔŋ³³/, /ɔŋ²¹/

Note:

• gô̤ng - vernacular;
• ǒng - literary.

Min Dong

• (Fuzhou)
  • Bàng-uâ-cê: kê̤ṳng / hùng
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰøyŋ²⁴²/, /huŋ⁵³/

Note:

• kê̤ṳng - vernacular;
• hùng - literary.

Min Nan

• (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Hsinchu, Sanxia, Yilan, Kinmen, Magong)
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khēng
  • Tâi-lô: khīng
  • Phofsit Daibuun: qeng
  • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kinmen): /kʰiɪŋ²²/
  • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /kʰiɪŋ³³/
• (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Lukang)
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khěng
  • Tâi-lô: khǐng
  • IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰiɪŋ²²/
• (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hông
  • Tâi-lô: hông
  • Phofsit Daibuun: hoong
  • IPA (Kaohsiung): /hɔŋ²³/
  • IPA (Zhangzhou): /hɔŋ¹³/
  • IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei): /hɔŋ²⁴/

Note:

• khēng/khěng - vernacular;
• hông - literary.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: kêng⁶ / hong⁵
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: khĕng / hông
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰeŋ³⁵/, /hoŋ⁵⁵/

Note:

• kêng6 - vernacular;
• hong5 - literary.

Wu

• (Shanghainese)
  • Wiktionary: hhon (T3)
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɦʊŋ²³/

Xiang

• (Changsha)
  • Wiktionary: gan⁴ / hong²
  • Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /kan⁴⁵/, /xʊŋ¹³/
  • Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /kan⁴⁵/, /xən¹³/

Note:

• gan4 - vernacular;
• hong2 - literary.

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• Middle Chinese: /ɦuŋ/, /kˠʌŋ^H/

Rime
Character	虹	虹
Reading #	1/3	3/3
Initial (聲)	匣 (33)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	東 (1)	江 (9)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	I	II
Fanqie	戸公切	古巷切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɦuŋ/	/kˠʌŋH/
Pan Wuyun	/ɦuŋ/	/kᵚɔŋH/
Shao Rongfen	/ɣuŋ/	/kɔŋH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɦəwŋ/	/kaɨwŋH/
Li Rong	/ɣuŋ/	/kɔŋH/
Wang Li	/ɣuŋ/	/kɔŋH/
Bernard Karlgren	/ɣuŋ/	/kɔŋH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	hóng	jiàng

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*m-kˤoŋ/, /*kˤroŋ-s/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kroːŋs/, /*ɡoːŋ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	虹	虹
Reading #	1/2	2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	hóng	jiàng
Middle Chinese	‹ huwng ›	‹ kæwngH ›
Old Chinese	/*m-kˁoŋ/	/*kˁroŋ-s/
English	rainbow	rainbow
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	虹	虹
Reading #	1/3	3/3
No.	4004	4056
Phonetic component	工	工
Rime group	東	東
Rime subdivision	0	0
Corresponding MC rime	絳	洪
Old Chinese	/*kroːŋs/	/*ɡoːŋ/

Definitions

虹

1. rainbow (Classifier: 條／条 m; 道 m)

   彩虹  ―  cǎihóng  ―  rainbow

   天上出虹了。  ―  Tiānshàng chū jiàng le.  ―  There's a rainbow in the sky.

2. (literary, figuratively) bridge

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 虹 (“rainbow”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		虹, 螮蝀, 雩, 隮
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		彩虹, 虹
Mandarin	Beijing	虹
	Taiwan	彩虹
	Harbin	虹
	Shenyang	虹
	Hailar	彩虹
	Ulanhot	七彩虹
	Tongliao	彩虹
	Chifeng	虹
	Bayanhot	彩虹, 虹
	Jinan	虹
	Muping	虹
	Luoyang	虹
	Wanrong	虹
	Xi'an	虹
	Zhengzhou	虹
	Xining	虹
	Xuzhou	虹
	Yinchuan	虹
	Lanzhou	虹
	Ürümqi	虹
	Wuhan	虹
	Huanggang	虹
	Chengdu	虹
	Guiyang	虹
	Guilin	虹
	Liuzhou	虹, 彩虹
	Kunming	虹
	Yangzhou	虹
	Nanjing	虹
	Hefei	虹
	Nantong	鱟, 虹
	Singapore	彩虹
	Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	虹
	Masanchin (Shaanxi Dungan)	虹
Cantonese	Guangzhou	虹, 天虹, 龍拱
	Hong Kong	天虹, 彩虹
	Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou)	天弓
	Foshan	鑊耳龍
	Shunde	拱篷
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	虹拱
	Doumen (Shangheng Tanka)	龍孔
	Doumen	龍孔
	Taishan	鑊耳
	Kaiping (Chikan)	鑊耳龍
	Dongguan	虹
	Shaoguan	虹
	Yunfu	龍
	Yangjiang	破篷
	Xinyi	湴更
	Lianjiang	虹
	Nanning	虹
	Wuzhou	彩虹
	Yulin	龐虹
	Hepu	天虹
	Danzhou	天虹
	Kuala Lumpur	彩虹, 彩龍
	Ho Chi Minh City	彩虹
Gan	Nanchang	虹
	Lichuan	天虹, 天吊
	Pingxiang	虹
Hakka	Meixian	天弓
	Xingning	天弓
	Huidong (Daling)	天弓
	Qujiang	天弓
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	龍
	Luchuan	天公降水
	Changting	虹
	Pingyu	天弓
	Wuping	天弓
	Liancheng	虹
	Ninghua	虹
	Yudu	虹
	Ruijin	虹
	Shicheng	虹
	Shangyou	虹
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	天弓, 虹
	Liudui (S. Sixian)	天弓
	Hsinchu (Hailu)	虹
	Dongshi (Dabu)	天弓
	Hsinchu (Raoping)	虹
	Yunlin (Zhao'an)	虹
	Hong Kong	天弓
	Sabah (Longchuan)	天弓
	Senai	天弓, 彩虹
	Singkawang	天弓
Huizhou	Jixi	日頭紅虹, 虹
	Yixian	虹
	Qimen	虹
	Wuyuan	虹
	Fuliang	虹
	Dexing	彩虹
	Xianyu (formerly Zhanda)	虹
Jin	Taiyuan	虹
	Pingyao	虹
	Xinzhou	虹
	Baochang	虹
	Jining	虹
	Hohhot	虹
	Baotou	虹
	Dongsheng	虹
	Linhe	虹
	Haibowan	虹
Min Bei	Jian'ou	虹
	Dikou	虹
	Zhenqian	虹
	Shibei	虹, 攔溪仔 dated
Min Dong	Fuzhou	虹
	Fuqing	虹
	Shouning	虹
	Matsu	虹
Min Nan	Xiamen	虹
	Quanzhou	虹
	Yongchun	虹
	Zhangzhou	虹
	Hua'an	虹
	Dongshan	虹
	Taipei	虹
	Kaohsiung	虹
	Tainan	虹
	Taichung	虹
	Wuqi	虹
	Hsinchu	虹
	Taitung	虹
	Lukang	虹
	Sanxia	虹
	Yilan	虹
	Kinmen	虹
	Magong	虹
	Penang (Hokkien)	虹
	Zhangping (Yongfu)	天虹
	Pingnan (Shangdu)	虹
	Chaozhou	虹
	Shantou	虹
	Haifeng	虹
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	虹
	Wenchang	虹
	Haikou	虹
Puxian Min	Putian	虹
	Xianyou	虹
Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	虹
	Guilin (Dahe)	虹
Shehua	Fu'an	交龍
	Fuding	交龍
	Luoyuan	交龍
	Sanming	交龍
	Shunchang	交龍
	Hua'an	交龍
	Guixi	交龍
	Cangnan	交龍
	Jingning	交龍
	Lishui	交龍
	Longyou	交龍
	Chaozhou	交龍
	Fengshun	交龍
Wu	Shanghai	虹, 彩虹, 鱟 dated
	Suzhou	鱟, 彩虹, 虹
	Wuxi	彩虹, 虹, 鱟
	Hangzhou	鱟, 彩虹
	Wenzhou	鱟
	Chongming	鱟
	Danyang	虹
	Jinhua	鱟, 彩虹
	Tangxi	熯
	Ningbo	鱟, 虹
Xiang	Changsha	虹
	Shuangfeng	虹
	Loudi	虹
	Quanzhou	彩虹

Compounds

Derived terms from 虹

• 丹虹
• 副虹
• 垂虹
• 垂虹亭
• 垂虹橋／垂虹桥
• 天虹 (tiānhóng)
• 宛虹
• 幡虹
• 彩虹 (cǎihóng)
• 攄虹／摅虹
• 文虹
• 斷虹／断虹
• 日虹
• 星虹
• 晴虹
• 梁虹
• 橋虹／桥虹
• 殘虹／残虹
• 氣勢如虹／气势如虹 (qìshìrúhóng)
• 氣吐虹霓／气吐虹霓
• 氣吞虹蜺／气吞虹蜺
• 氣貫長虹／气贯长虹
• 煙虹／烟虹
• 玉泉垂虹
• 玉虹
• 白虹
• 白虹貫日／白虹贯日
• 直虹
• 荊虹／荆虹
• 虹丹
• 虹伸
• 虹光

• 虹勢／虹势
• 虹吸作用
• 虹吸現象／虹吸现象
• 虹吸管
• 虹女
• 虹帶／虹带
• 虹彩 (hóngcǎi)
• 虹彩膜
• 虹旃
• 虹旆
• 虹旌
• 虹旍
• 虹旗
• 虹星
• 虹映
• 虹梁
• 虹棧／虹栈
• 虹樓／虹楼
• 虹橋／虹桥 (hóngqiáo)
• 虹橋板／虹桥板
• 虹氣／虹气
• 虹沴
• 虹泉
• 虹洞
• 虹燭錠／虹烛锭
• 虹玉
• 虹申
• 虹絲／虹丝
• 虹腰
• 虹膜 (hóngmó)
• 虹舸
• 虹草

• 虹蜺
• 虹蜺閣／虹蜺阁
• 虹蝀／虹𬟽
• 虹裳
• 虹輝／虹辉
• 虹采
• 虹陛
• 虹雨
• 虹霓 (hóngní)
• 虹飲／虹饮
• 虹鱒／虹鳟 (hóngzūn)
• 蛇虹
• 蝦虹／虾虹
• 謀虹／谋虹
• 貫虹／贯虹
• 跨虹
• 長虹／长虹
• 長虹貫日／长虹贯日
• 陰虹／阴虹
• 隱虹／隐虹
• 雄虹
• 雌虹
• 雰虹
• 電虹／电虹
• 霓虹 (níhóng)
• 霓虹燈／霓虹灯 (níhóngdēng)
• 霞虹
• 青虹
• 風虹／风虹
• 飲虹／饮虹
• 鬐虹

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): hòng (hong⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄨㄥˋ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: hòng
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄨㄥˋ
    • Wade–Giles: hung4
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: honq
    • Tongyong Pinyin: hòng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xʊŋ⁵¹/

Definitions

虹

1. ^† to fester
2. Only used in 虹洞.

Pronunciation 3

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): gòng (gong⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄨㄥˋ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: gòng
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄥˋ
    • Wade–Giles: kung4
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gonq
    • Tongyong Pinyin: gòng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʊŋ⁵¹/

---

• Middle Chinese: /kuŋ^H/

Rime
Character	虹
Reading #	2/3
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	東 (1)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	古送切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kuŋH/
Pan Wuyun	/kuŋH/
Shao Rongfen	/kuŋH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kəwŋH/
Li Rong	/kuŋH/
Wang Li	/kuŋH/
Bernard Karlgren	/kuŋH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	gòng

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*kˤroŋ-s/

  (Zhengzhang): /*koːŋs/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	虹
Reading #	2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	jiàng
Middle Chinese	‹ kæwngH ›
Old Chinese	/*kˁroŋ-s/
English	rainbow
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	虹
Reading #	2/3
No.	4032
Phonetic component	工
Rime group	東
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	貢
Old Chinese	/*koːŋs/
Notes	原注今音絳

Definitions

虹

1. A county in modern Anhui

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Japanese

Kanji

虹

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: ぐ (gu); ぐう (gū); こう (kō)
• Kan-on: こう (kō)^{←かう (kau, historical)}; こう (kō)
• Kun: にじ (niji, 虹, Jōyō)

Compounds

Compounds

• 朝虹(あさにじ) (asaniji)
• 海老虹梁(えびこうりょう) (ebikōryō), 蝦虹梁(えびこうりょう) (ebikōryō)
• 過剰虹(かじょうにじ) (kajōniji)
• 霧虹(きりにじ) (kiriniji): fogbow
• 月虹(げっこう) (gekkō): moonbow
• 虹橋(こうきょう) (kōkyō)
• 虹霓(こうげい) (kōgei), 虹蜺(こうげい) (kōgei): rainbow
• 虹彩(こうさい) (kōsai): iris (part of the eye)
• 虹彩炎(こうさいえん) (kōsaien): iritis
• 虹彩毛様体炎(こうさいもうようたいえん) (kōsaimōyōtaien)
• 虹梁(こうりょう) (kōryō)
• 虹梁鼻(こうりょうばな) (kōryōbana)
• 彩虹(さいこう) (saikō)
• 断虹(だんこう) (dankō)
• 虹色鍬形(にじいろくわがた) (nijīrokuwagata)
• 虹(にじ)の松原(まつばら) (niji no matsubara)
• 虹鱒(にじます) (nijimasu): rainbow trout
• 白虹(はっこう) (hakkō)
• 白虹事件(はっこうじけん) (hakkōjiken)
• 白虹日(はっこうひ)を貫(つらぬ)く (hakkō hi o tsuranuku)
• 二重虹(ふたえにじ) (futaeniji)
• 夕虹(ゆうにじ) (yūniji)
• 夕虹百日(ゆうにじひゃくにち)の旱(ひでり) (yūniji hyakunichi no hideri)

Etymology 1

虹 (niji, nuji, noji): a rainbow.

Kanji in this term
虹
にじ Grade: S
kun’yomi

⟨nizi⟩ → /niʑi/

From Old Japanese, attested as man'yōgana form 爾之 in the 和名類聚抄 (Wamyō Ruijushō) of c.931-938 and 爾自 in the 金光明最勝王経音義 (Konkōmyō Saishōō-kyō Ongi) of 1079. May be a shift from earlier nuji or noji readings (see below).

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) にじ [nìjí] (Heiban – [0])
  • IPA^(key): [ɲ̟iʑi]

Alternative forms

• 霓

Noun

虹(にじ) • (niji) 

1. a rainbow

   春雨(はるさめ)がやんだ途端(とたん)に、美(うつく)しい虹(にじ)が現(あらわ)れた。

   Harusame ga yanda totan ni, utsukushii niji ga arawareta.

   Just as the spring shower passed, a beautiful rainbow appeared.

Synonyms

• 虹霓(こうげい) (kōgei)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
虹
ぬじ Grade: S
kun’yomi

⟨nuzi⟩ → /nuʑi/

From Old Japanese, attested in the 北野本日本書紀 (Kitano-bon Nihon shoki) of the late Heian period. May be a shift from earlier noji (see below); compare Okinawan ぬーじ (nuː‎dʑi) and Miyako ぬず (nudzɿ).

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) ぬじ [nùjí] (Heiban – [0])
  • IPA^(key): [nɯ̟ᵝʑi]

Noun

虹(ぬじ) • (nuji) 

1. (dialect, possibly obsolete) a rainbow

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
虹
のじ Grade: S
kun’yomi

⟨no₁zi⟩ → /noʑi/

From Old Japanese, appeared in the Man'yōshū of 759 CE as an eastern dialectal variant.

Cognate with Okinawan ぬーじ (nuː‎dʑi) and Miyako ぬず (nudzɿ).

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) のじ [nòjí] (Heiban – [0])
  • IPA^(key): [no̞ʑi]

Noun

虹(のじ) • (noji) 

1. (obsolete) a rainbow

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Korean

Hanja

虹 • (hong, gang)

• Eumhun:
  • Sound (hangeul): 홍, 강
  • Name (hangeul): 무지개

1. rainbow

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Vietnamese

Han character

虹: Hán Việt readings: hồng
虹: Nôm readings: vồng

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.