雷
kaminari[ka̠mʲina̠ɾʲi]
The English phrase 'thunderbolt' is translated into Japanese as 雷 (kaminari). If unsure, use 雷. Wiktionary also lists 落雷 (rakurai).
Meaning: flash of lightning accompanied by thunder (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 雷 | kaminari | [ka̠mʲina̠ɾʲi] (narrow) [kã̠nːa̠ɾʲi] (narrow) |
| 落雷 | rakurai | [ɾa̠kɯ̟ɾa̠i] (narrow) |
The term 雷 is a general word used to refer to both the sound of thunder and the flash of lightning.
Which one should you use?
While 雷 refers to the phenomenon generally, 落雷 specifically refers to the event of lightning actually striking the ground or an object. For a more poetic or abstract way to refer specifically to the lightning bolt itself, you can use 稲妻.
How does it change in a sentence?
雷 is a noun and does not change its form based on tense or number.
How do you pronounce it?
kaminari
Did you know?
- The Japanese language has a dedicated word, 稲妻, specifically for the flash of lightning. It literally translates to 'wife of rice' because farmers believed lightning fertilized the rice crops.
- In Japanese folklore, the god of thunder is Raijin, who is often depicted with a circle of drums around his back. He beats these drums to create the sound of 雷.
- The word 雷 can be thought of as 'the cry of a god', combining the words for 'god' and 'to cry out' or 'to ring' (naru).
Examples in context
- 雷が今にも落ちてきそうだ。A thunderbolt is likely to fall any minute.This sentence uses 雷 to describe a thunderbolt being likely to fall.Tatoeba #78555 by mookeee, translation #325161 by AlanF_US
- 今日は雷が ３ 回落ちた！ (きょうはかみなりがさんかいおちた！)Today, there were three thunderbolts!
- 大きな雷の音が聞こえる。ookina kaminari no oto ga kikoeru.I can hear the sound of a loud thunderbolt.
- 雷で停電した。kaminari de teiden shita.The power went out due to a thunderbolt.
Example conversation
Yui and Yota are walking home during a storm.
- 結衣 Yui陽太、すごい雷が鳴ったね。Yōta, sugoi kaminari ga natta ne.Yota, that was a loud thunderbolt.
- 陽太 Yota本当だ。急いで帰ろう。Hontō da. Isoide kaerō.You're right. Let's hurry home.
- 結衣 Yuiあっちに光が見えるよ。Acchi ni hikari ga mieru yo.I see a flash over there.
- 陽太 Yotaもうすぐ雨が降るね。Mō sugu ame ga furu ne.It's going to rain soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thunderbolt” translations and entries 雷, 落雷, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 落雷, 雷, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
