虹
Mnemonic
A colossal insect arches its iridescent body from horizon to horizon. A carpenter down below stares up in awe, realizing each glowing segment of the creature forms a different band of color. The insect IS the rainbow — a living, breathing arc of light spanning the sky.
Additional thoughts
Imagine the insect as a massive caterpillar whose segmented body naturally creates distinct color bands. The carpenter, used to building arches, recognizes the perfect arc shape overhead. Ancient peoples really did see rainbows as sky-serpents or giant creatures.Quick recall
A giant insect arches across the sky while a carpenter below realizes the creature's colorful segments form a rainbow.Details
The keyword for 虹 is rainbow. This kanji represents the natural optical phenomenon of a rainbow, the multicolored arc that appears in the sky when sunlight refracts through water droplets after rain. In ancient East Asian thought, the rainbow was sometimes imagined as a great serpent or dragon-like creature arching across the heavens, which is reflected in the kanji's composition suggesting a large insect or creature spanning the sky.
- On'yomi
- こう
- Kun'yomi
- にじ