Definitions

Japanese cicada; old variant of 霓[ní]
secondary rainbow

Etymology

The child  of a rain cloud 

About

The character "霓" refers to a secondary rainbow, and its composition integrates the semantic component "雨" to denote its association with atmospheric conditions, combined with the phonetic element "兒" which historically indicated its pronunciation. Etymologically, this structure has consistently linked the character to meteorological phenomena, with its meaning centered on the fainter outer bow of a rainbow as documented in classical texts. Over time, the character's usage has primarily described this specific optical effect, though it has also been employed in literary and poetic contexts to evoke similar luminous appearances in the sky.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

城市的虹灯很漂亮。

Chéngshì de níhóngdēng hěn piàoliang.

The city's neon lights are very beautiful.

晚上虹闪烁非常迷人。

Wǎnshang níhóng shǎnshuò fēicháng mírén.

At night, the neon flickers very charmingly.

雨后天边出现了虹

Yǔ hòu tiānbiān chūxiànle hóngní.

After the rain, a rainbow appeared on the horizon.

瀑布旁边有时能看到

Pùbù pángbiān yǒushí néng kàn dào ní.

Sometimes you can see a secondary rainbow near the waterfall.

虹广告牌照亮了整条街道。

Níhóng guǎnggàopái zhàoliàngle zhěng tiáo jiēdào.

The neon billboard illuminates the entire street.

她的梦想像虹一样绚丽。

Tā de mèngxiǎng xiàng níhóng yīyàng xuànlì.

Her dreams are as dazzling as neon.

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,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.