How do you say "lightning" in Japanese?

雷

kaminari

Adjective Kanji

In Japanese, "lightning" is 雷 (kaminari).

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Pronunciation

雷 is written using kanji. Romanised as kaminari, it sounds roughly like "kah-mee-nah-ree" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Kaminari (雷) means thunder or lightning and has a folk tradition in Japan where children are told to hide their belly buttons during storms.

Example sentence

遠くで雷の音が聞こえます。

Tooku de kaminari no oto ga kikoemasu.

I can hear the sound of thunder in the distance.

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How to remember 雷

Kaminari sounds like thunder itself when pronounced loudly. Picture a sudden flash of lightning illuminating the sky.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese adjectives.

Questions about 雷

How do you pronounce 雷?

雷 is romanised as kaminari. Say it roughly like "kah-mee-nah-ree" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 雷 formal or casual?

雷 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 雷 written in Japanese?

雷 is written using kanji. Kaminari (雷) means thunder or lightning and has a folk tradition in Japan where children are told to hide their belly buttons during storms..

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Lightning" in other languages

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