1.
moonlight; moonbeam; light of the moon
The light emitted by the moon, especially when it illuminates the night landscape. A somewhat literary or poetic word.
月光が美しい。
The moonlight is beautiful.
月光に照らされた湖が光っていた。
The lake illuminated by moonlight was shining.
窓から差し込む月光で、部屋の中がほんのり明るかった。
The moonlight streaming through the window made the room faintly bright.
A literary and elegant word for moonlight. While 月の光 is the everyday way to say "moonlight," 月光 has a more poetic and refined feel, commonly found in literature, music, and art titles.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 月光に照らされる: to be illuminated by moonlight
- 月光が差す: moonlight streams in
- 月光を浴びる: to bathe in moonlight
- 月光浴: moonlight bathing
CULTURAL NOTE:
Beethovenʼs "Moonlight Sonata" is known in Japanese as 月光ソナタ. The word also appears in many Japanese poems and songs. Moon-viewing (月見) is a traditional autumn activity in Japan, and 月光 evokes that aesthetic appreciation.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 月の光: moonlight — the everyday expression
- 月明かり: moonlight — also literary, emphasizes brightness
- 月影: moonlight or moon's reflection — classical/poetic