Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 光 | hikari | [çi̥ka̠ɾʲi] (narrow) |
| 明かり | akari | [a̠ka̠ɾʲi] (narrow) |
Japanese uses different words for light depending on whether you are discussing the scientific phenomenon or a practical source of illumination. 光 refers to light as a physical phenomenon, such as when discussing its speed, color or the act of emitting it. Conversely, 明かり typically refers to artificial light or the illumination provided by a source, such as a lamp, a candle or a window. You may also encounter ライト in everyday speech, which is frequently used to refer to a light source or lighting equipment.
Which one should you use?
光 (hikari) is used for the physical or scientific concept of light and is also common in poetic contexts. 明かり (akari) is used in common, everyday situations to describe the light produced by a source used to illuminate a space.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
hikari
Did you know?
- The word 光 (hikari) shares a common ancestor with the Mandarin word 光 (guāng), stemming from Middle Chinese.
- While ライト (raito) is a loanword from English, it is used almost exclusively for physical equipment like flashlights or car headlights rather than the concept of light itself.
- The word 光 (hikari) is actually the noun form of the verb 光る (hikaru), which means 'to shine' or 'to glitter'.
Examples in context
- 明かりを消して。Turn off the light.This sentence shows how to use 明かり when asking to turn off a light.Tatoeba #80732 by bunbuku, translation #279153 by CK
- 太陽は光を放つ。The sun sends out light.This sentence illustrates how to use 光 when describing the sun emitting light.Tatoeba #138107 by KK_kaku_, translation #275128 by Zifre
- その光は緑色だ。That light is green.This sentence demonstrates the use of 光 when describing the color of a light.Tatoeba #5033125 by 999yudai, translation #5272697 by kemushi69
- 光がさしています。The light is shining.
- 部屋に明かりをつけてください。Please turn on the light in the room.
- 寺の灯りが美しい。The light of the temple is beautiful.
- 106 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are looking at a rainbow after the rain.
- 蓮 Ren見て、きれいな虹が出ているよ。Mite, kireina niji ga dete iru yo.Look, a beautiful rainbow has appeared.
- 美咲 Misaki本当だね。光の屈折でできるんだよね。Hontou da ne. Hikari no kussetsu de dekirun da yo ne.You're right. They are created by the refraction of light, aren't they?
- 蓮 Renそうだよ。科学的な現象は面白いね。Sou da yo. Kagakutekina genshou wa omoshiroi ne.That's right. Scientific phenomena are interesting.
- 美咲 Misakiうん。蓮は詳しいね。Un. Ren wa kuwashii ne.Yeah. You know a lot, Ren.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “light” translations and entries 光, 明かり, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 光, 明かり, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
