霓

蜺

ní

兒 + 雨

Definitions

ní Japanese cicada; old variant of 霓[ní]

ní secondary rainbow

Etymology

The child 兒 of a rain cloud 雨

About

霓 combines the rain radical 雨 (rain) and the phonetic 兒 (child), hinting at 'the child of a rain cloud'. It designates the secondary rainbow, noted for its reversed colour sequence compared to the primary rainbow. The radical 雨 anchors the character in atmospheric phenomena, while 兒 provides the sound. In classical Chinese literature, 霓 often partners with 虹 (primary rainbow) to describe vivid skies following rain.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

城市的霓虹灯很漂亮。

Chéngshì de níhóngdēng hěn piàoliang.

The city's neon lights are very beautiful.

晚上霓虹闪烁非常迷人。

Wǎnshang níhóng shǎnshuò fēicháng mírén.

At night, the neon flickers very charmingly.

雨后天边出现了虹霓。

Yǔ hòu tiānbiān chūxiànle hóngní.

After the rain, a rainbow appeared on the horizon.

瀑布旁边有时能看到霓。

Pùbù pángbiān yǒushí néng kàn dào ní.

Sometimes you can see a secondary rainbow near the waterfall.

霓虹广告牌照亮了整条街道。

Níhóng guǎnggàopái zhàoliàngle zhěng tiáo jiēdào.

The neon billboard illuminates the entire street.

她的梦想像霓虹一样绚丽。

Tā de mèngxiǎng xiàng níhóng yīyàng xuànlì.

Her dreams are as dazzling as neon.

霓虹灯的工作原理是气体放电。

Níhóngdēng de gōngzuò yuánlǐ shì qìtǐ fàngdiàn.

The working principle of neon lights is gas discharge.

在都市的夜空下，霓虹与星光交相辉映，构成了一幅现代画卷。

Zài dūshì de yèkōng xià, níhóng yǔ xīngguāng jiāoxiāng huīyìng, gòuchéngle yī fú xiàndài huàjuàn.

Under the night sky of the city, neon and starlight shine together, forming a modern picture.

Related Characters

Component: 兒

Component: 雨

霓