雷(かみなり)

かみなり
noun
thunder, lightning
1. thunder
The sound caused by lightning.
雷(かみなり)が鳴(な)っている。
Thunder is rumbling.
遠(とお)くで雷(かみなり)の音(おと)が聞(き)こえる。
I can hear the sound of thunder in the distance.
雷(かみなり)が怖(こわ)くて、布団(ふとん)の中(なか)に隠(かく)れた。
I was scared of the thunder and hid under the covers.
2. lightning
A flash of light in the sky during a storm.
雷(かみなり)が落(お)ちた。
Lightning struck.
雷(かみなり)が光(ひか)った。
Lightning flashed.
急(きゅう)に空(そら)が暗(くら)くなって雷(かみなり)が光(ひか)り始(はじ)めたので、急(いそ)いで家(いえ)に帰(かえ)った。
The sky suddenly got dark and lightning started flashing, so I hurried home.

雷(かみなり) covers both thunder (the sound) and lightning (the flash). Japanese does not typically distinguish between them the way English does.

ETYMOLOGY:
神(かみ) (god) + 鳴(な)り (rumbling) — "the rumbling of the gods."

COMMON PATTERNS:

  • 雷(かみなり)が鳴(な)る: thunder rumbles
  • 雷(かみなり)が光(ひか)る: lightning flashes
  • 雷(かみなり)が落(お)ちる: lightning strikes (literally); also: to get yelled at severely

FIGURATIVE USE:

  • 雷(かみなり)親父(おやじ): a strict, quick-tempered father
  • 先生(せんせい)の雷(かみなり)が落(お)ちた: the teacher blew up at someone

COMPOUNDS:

  • 落雷(らくらい): lightning strike
  • 雷雨(らいう): thunderstorm
  • 雷鳴(らいめい): thunder (literary)

Related Words

Related: 稲妻(いなずま) (lightning (poetic))
general
Added 2026.1.9 21:42 · Revised 2026.4.13 11:39
02000/02197_kaminari