Translation guide
How to express 'lightning strike' in Japanese, covering the event of lightning hitting something, being struck by lightning, and related expressions.
Describing a lightning bolt hitting a building, tree, ground, etc.
The most common and natural way to say lightning strikes something. Literally 'lightning falls'. Use with the location marked by に.
Yesterday, lightning struck a tree in my neighborhood.
Lightning rarely strikes that building.
A noun meaning 'lightning strike' or 'thunderbolt'. Often used in news, weather reports, or technical contexts. Can be used with する to mean 'lightning strikes'.
A power outage occurred due to a lightning strike.
Lightning strikes are frequent in this area.
Emphasizes a direct hit by lightning. More dramatic and less common in everyday speech.
Lightning struck the house directly and damaged the roof.
Describing someone getting hit by lightning.
The standard way to say 'be struck by lightning'. 打たれる is the passive form of 打つ (to strike).
He was struck by lightning while golfing.
The probability of being struck by lightning is very low.
Literally 'encounter a lightning strike'. Used for people or objects that experience a lightning strike. Slightly more formal or news-like.
A less common but understandable way to say lightning strikes a person. More direct, but 雷に打たれる is preferred.
Expressing a sudden, shocking event or realization, like 'a bolt from the blue'.
An idiom meaning 'a bolt from the blue' or 'a sudden, unexpected event'. Used for shocking news or events, not literal lightning.
His sudden resignation was a bolt from the blue.
Another idiom for a sudden shock or surprise, literally 'water in a sleeping ear'. Similar to 'out of the blue'.
Adjectival phrase meaning 'electric shock-like', used for sudden, impactful events or love at first sight. Not for literal lightning strikes.
雷 (かみなり) can mean both 'lightning' and 'thunder'. Context usually clarifies, but if you need to be specific, use 稲妻 (いなずま) for the visual lightning bolt, and 雷鳴 (らいめい) for the sound of thunder. However, in phrases like 雷が落ちる, it always refers to the lightning strike.
Lightning flashed.
Thunder was heard.
落雷 is a noun often used in formal or technical contexts (weather reports, news). 雷が落ちる is a verb phrase used in everyday conversation. Both mean 'lightning strikes', but 落雷 is more concise and written.
He was struck by lightning while climbing and seriously injured.
Unfortunately, lightning struck right next to him.
The news was a complete shock.
They fell in love at first sight (like a lightning strike).