明るい
akarui[a̠ka̠ɾɯ̟i]
The Japanese word for bright is 明るい (akarui).
明るい is used to describe something emitting much light or being visually dazzling. Beyond physical light, it can also be used metaphorically to describe a person's personality as being bright, cheerful or optimistic.
Meaning: emitting much light, visually dazzling (adj)
Which one should you use?
While 明るい describes a place or object that is bright, use まぶしい if the brightness is so intense that it is dazzling or blinding to the eyes.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can change the adjective 明るい into the adverb 明るく to mean brightly. To create a noun meaning brightness or luminance, change the final vowel to create 明るさ.
How do you pronounce it?
akarui
Did you know?
- The kanji used in 明るい consists of two parts: the sun '日' and the moon '月'. Together, they represent the two primary sources of light in the sky.
- The word 明るい is used to describe someone who is knowledgeable or 'bright' about a specific topic, such as being 業界に明るい ('bright/well-informed about an industry').
- While 明るい describes a cheerful person, calling someone 明るすぎる ('too bright') can sometimes be a polite way to suggest they are being too loud or overly energetic for the situation.
Examples in context
- すごく明るい。It's very bright.This sentence uses 明るい to describe how bright something is.Tatoeba #4211968 by KK_kaku_, translation #4211991 by CK
- 外はまだ明るいよ。It's still bright outside.This sentence uses 明るい to describe the light level outside.Tatoeba #184873 by small_snow, translation #4573423 by imjcooper
- いつか、明るい未来が待っている。Someday, a bright future awaits us.This sentence uses 明るい to describe a bright future.Tatoeba #12437540 by small_snow, translation #12480003 by Lumi
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are walking through a park at night.
- 蓮 Ren夜なのに、公園は明るいね。Yoru nanoni, kouen wa akarui ne.Even though it's night, the park is bright.
- 結衣 Yui本当。街灯がたくさんあるからね。Hontou. Gaitou ga takusan aru kara ne.True. It's because there are many streetlights.
- 蓮 Ren結衣、足元に気をつけて。Yui, ashimoto ni ki wo tsukete.Yui, watch your step.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとう、蓮さん。Arigatou, Ren-san.Thank you, Ren.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bright” translations and entries 明るい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
