彩虹
The English word "rainbow" is 彩虹 in Cantonese. Wiktionary also lists 天虹.
Meaning: multicoloured arch in the sky (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese |
|---|
| 彩虹 |
| 天虹 |
A rainbow is a multicoloured arch in the sky.
What does it mean word for word?
彩虹 is composed of 彩, meaning colour or multicoloured and 虹, meaning rainbow or arc.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Guangzhou, the term for rainbow is typically written and pronounced as 彩虹.
Did you know?
- The character 虹 is visually composed of the 'insect' radical 虫, reflecting an ancient belief that rainbows were giant worms or serpents in the sky.
- In traditional Cantonese folk beliefs, seeing a 彩虹 was sometimes interpreted as an omen of upcoming war or social upheaval rather than a symbol of hope.
- While 彩虹 describes the visual arc, the character 虹 historically referred to a mythical dragon-like creature that lived in the clouds and caused rain.
Examples in context
- 呢幅畫入面有一條好靚嘅彩虹。ni fu waa jap min jau jat tiu hou leng ge choi hung.There is a very beautiful rainbow in this painting.
Example conversation
Meiling and Zhiqiang are walking home after a rainstorm.
- 美玲 Mei Ling志強，你睇下個天空，有彩虹！Zi3 keung4, nei5 tai2 haa6 go3 tin1 hung1, jau5 coi2 hung4!Zhiqiang, look at the sky, there's a rainbow!
- 志強 Chi Keung真係好靚，顏色好鮮艷。zan1 hai6 hou2 leng3, jan4 sik1 hou2 sin1 jim6.It really is beautiful, the colors are so vivid.
- 美玲 Mei Ling我好鍾意睇彩虹。ngo5 hou2 zung1 ji3 tai2 coi2 hung4.I love watching rainbows.
- 志強 Chi Keung我都係，好有感覺。ngo5 dou1 si6, hou2 jau5 gam2 gok3.Me too, it's very atmospheric.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rainbow” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
