1.
brilliance; radiance; sparkle; shine
The quality of emitting or reflecting bright light, such as the shine of stars, gems, or sunlight.
星の輝きが美しい。
The sparkle of the stars is beautiful.
ダイヤモンドの輝きに目を奪われた。
I was captivated by the brilliance of the diamond.
朝日の輝きが湖の水面に反射して、幻想的な光景だった。
The radiance of the morning sun reflected on the lake's surface, creating a fantastic sight.
2.
glory; splendor
Figurative radiance or vitality, such as the glory of youth or the sparkle in someone's eyes.
青春の輝きは二度と戻らない。
The glory of youth never comes back.
彼の目にはかつての輝きがなかった。
His eyes no longer had their former sparkle.
長年の努力が実り、彼女の人生は新たな輝きを放ち始めた。
Her years of effort bore fruit, and her life began to shine with new splendor.
The noun form of the verb 輝く (to shine, to sparkle). Used for both literal light/brightness and figurative glory or vitality.
USAGE:
- Sense 1 refers to physical light or brightness — the shine of stars, gems, sunlight
- Sense 2 is figurative — the radiance of youth, glory of an era, sparkle in someone's eyes
- Often used in literary or poetic contexts
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 輝きを放つ: to emit radiance
- 輝きを失う: to lose one's brilliance
- 輝きを増す: to increase in brilliance
- 輝きに満ちた: filled with radiance
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 光: light — more general; physical light rather than the quality of shining
- 光沢: luster, gloss — specifically the sheen on a surface
- 煌めき: glitter, twinkle — more about flickering or twinkling light