太陽|たいようtaiyou[1]atamadaka (head-high)
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- nounSun
- Synonymお日様おひさまCasualAn affectionate word for the sun, used mostly with children or in casual speech, as in 「お日様が出る」.
- Relatedお天道様おてんとさまCasualA folksy word for the sun, affectionate yet reverent; it can also mean heaven or providence, as in 「お天道様が見ている」.
- Related天道てんとうWrittenWritten/formal prose: the god of heaven and earth or the way of heaven, and by extension the sun; rarely used today.
- Related日輪にちりんWrittenA literary word for the sun, as in 「真っ赤な日輪」.
Use 「太陽」 for the sun as a celestial body. In warm, everyday speech choose 「お日様」 or 「お天道様」; 「日輪」 is the literary option, and 「天道」 is formal and rare today.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only


