Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 彩虹 | cǎihóng | /t͡sʰaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xʊŋ³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /t͡sʰai⁵³ xoŋ²¹/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 隮 /𬯀 | jī | ||
| 虹霓 | hóngní | /xʊŋ³⁵ ni³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /hʊŋ²¹ ŋɐi̯²¹/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 虹 | khēng | /kʰiɪŋ³³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Yilan, Kinmen, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Hsinchu, Sanxia, Magong) /kʰeŋ²²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Yilan, Kinmen, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Hsinchu, Sanxia, Magong) |
Hokkien |
| 彩虹 | chhái-khēng | /t͡sʰai⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ hɔŋ²³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA, Kaohsiung, General Taiwanese) /t͡sʰai⁵³⁻⁴⁴ hɔŋ¹³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
The word refers to the multicolored arch seen in the sky. You can use the term 美丽的彩虹 to say 'beautiful rainbow', or 双彩虹 to refer to a 'double rainbow'.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 彩虹 is composed of 彩 (cǎi), meaning 'color' or 'multicolored' and 虹 (hóng), meaning 'rainbow'.
Which one should you use?
While 彩虹 is the standard term, the single character 虹 can also mean rainbow, though it is more frequently found in compounds or poetic contexts. The term 虹霓 is also used to refer to a rainbow.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
虹霓 is a more literary or formal way to refer to the phenomenon.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hokkien, you may use 虹 or 彩虹 (romanized as chhái-khēng). In Dungan, the word is гон. The form 隮 /𬯀 (romanized as jī) is also used in Chinese.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization for 彩虹 is chhái-khēng.
Did you know?
- The character for rainbow, 虹, contains the radical for 'insect' or 'creature' because ancient Chinese people believed a rainbow was actually a two-headed dragon.
Examples in context
- 彩虹有七种颜色。A rainbow has seven colors.This sentence shows how to state the number of colors in a 虹.Tatoeba #4757592 by ryanwoo, translation #4753134 by AlanF_US
- 你见到今天早上的彩虹了吗？Did you see the rainbow this morning?This sentence is useful for asking if someone saw a 虹 earlier in the day.Tatoeba #8926999 by crescat, translation #3738029 by CK
- 喏，快看快看！那有一道巨大的彩虹！Oh, look, look! There's a big rainbow over there!This sentence demonstrates how to point out a large 虹.Tatoeba #9932494 by SbrAkr, translation #2610241 by WestofEden
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Haoran and Yuting are walking home after a summer rain.
- 浩然 Haoran雨婷，快看天空！Yǔtíng, kuài kàn tiānkōng!Yuting, look at the sky quickly!
- 雨婷 Yuting哇，那边有一道彩虹。Wa, nàbiān yǒu yī dào cǎihóng.Wow, there is a rainbow over there.
- 浩然 Haoran它看起来好漂亮。Tā kàn qǐlái hǎo piàoliang.It looks so beautiful.
- 雨婷 Yuting我们要赶紧拍照记录下来。Wǒmen yào gǎnjǐn pāizhào jìlù xiàlái.We should hurry and take a photo to record it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rainbow” translations and entries 彩虹, 虹霓, 虹, 彩虹, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 虹, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
