星雲
seiun[se̞ːɯ̟̃ɴ]
In Japanese, the English phrase "nebula" is translated as 星雲 (seiun).
星雲 is used to refer to a nebula or a space cloud.
Meaning: a space cloud (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the characters for "star" (星) and "cloud" (雲), literally meaning "star cloud".
How do you pronounce it?
seiun
Did you know?
- The character for 'cloud' 雲 is used in the phrase 雲上, meaning 'above the clouds', to describe people of such high social rank that they are unreachable.
- The word 星雲 can also be used poetically to describe a shimmering cluster of lights or an ethereal mist on Earth, not just objects in outer space.
- In Japanese pop culture, such as anime, titles featuring 星雲 often evoke a sense of vastness or sci-fi mystery compared to the more literal English 'nebula'.
Examples in context
- 暗黒星雲A dark nebulaThis sentence is useful for seeing the term used in the phrase "a dark nebula" with 星雲.
- 星雲は、宇宙の中で輝く美しい存在です。Nebulae are beautiful existences that shine in space.
- あの星雲はとても美しいです。Ano seiun wa totemo utsukushii desu.That nebula is very beautiful.
- 望遠鏡で星雲が見えます。Bouenkyou de seiun ga miemasu.I can see a nebula through the telescope.
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are looking at a star map in a planetarium.
- 結衣 Yuiこの星雲の名前は何ですか？Kono seiun no namae wa nan desu ka?What is the name of this nebula?
- 健太 Kentaそれはオリオン星雲ですよ。Sore wa Orion seiun desu yo.That is the Orion Nebula.
- 結衣 Yuiとてもきれいな星雲ですね。Totemo kirei na seiun desu ne.It's a very beautiful nebula, isn't it?
- 健太 Kentaええ、素晴らしい光景です。Ee, subarashii koukei desu.Yes, it is a wonderful sight.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nebula” translations and entries 星雲, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
