1.
meteor, shooting star
A streak of light in the sky caused by a small particle from space burning up as it enters Earth's atmosphere.
昨夜、流星を見た。
I saw a shooting star last night.
流星に願いごとをした。
I made a wish on a shooting star.
Common expression
今夜は流星群が見られるらしい。
Apparently, we can see a meteor shower tonight.
流星 refers to what is commonly called a "shooting star" in English.
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- 流星群 (meteor shower)
- 流星を見る (see a shooting star)
- 流星に願う (wish upon a shooting star)
RELATED WORDS:
- 流れ星: colloquial term for shooting star
- 隕石: meteorite (one that reaches the ground)
- 彗星: comet
CULTURAL NOTE:
In Japan, as in many cultures, there is a tradition of making wishes when seeing a shooting star. The belief is that if you can make a wish before the star disappears, it will come true.