How to say "rainbow" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 虹にじnounThe ordinary word for a rainbow, the arc of colors in the sky after rain. This is the word you want in almost any everyday sentence, as in seeing a rainbow or pointing one out to someone.
- nounA katakana borrowing of 'rainbow', mainly found in proper names, product and event names, and catchy or decorative contexts. As a plain way to say 'rainbow' it is markedly less common than 虹.
Use 虹 for the natural, everyday word for a rainbow; 「レインボー」 is a katakana loanword that appears in names, branding, and stylistic contexts but is far less common.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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