How to say "radiant" in Japanese

Choosing the right word

眩しいまぶしいJLPT N2approx.Common
i-adjectiveCovers the literal sense: light so bright it dazzles the eyes. Use for strong sunlight, lamps, or anything whose brilliance is almost hard to look at directly.
太陽たいようがまぶしい。↗
My eyes are dazzled by the sun.
にこやかCommon
na-adjectiveCovers the figurative sense: a person whose face is cheerful and beaming with smiles. It describes someone's expression rather than actual light, and is usually written in kana alone.
「怒おこってない。ほら見みて、このにこやかな笑顔えがお」「それは作り笑つくりわらいっていうんですよ」↗
"I'm not angry. Look, see this smiling face?" "That's what they call a forced smile!"

Use 「眩しい」 for the literal sense of radiant as dazzlingly bright light, and 「にこやか」 for the figurative sense of a person looking radiant with smiles.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese equivalents

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