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彗星 (すいせい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Meanings 1
noun
comet
astronomy
Astronomy term for a small Solar System body that can appear with a bright coma or tail when near the Sun; also used in ordinary news and science writing.
空ぞら
に
長なが
い
尾お
を
引ひ
い
て
見み
え
た
。
The comet appeared in the night sky with a long tail.
Written forms 彗すい 星せい Usage 99%
Standard kanji spelling for the astronomical noun meaning comet.
すい 星せい Usage 1%
search-only kanji form
Attested mixed kana-kanji form marked as search-only; use 彗星 in normal writing.
Similar words 流りゅう 星せい 流星 is a meteor or shooting star seen as a brief streak of light in the atmosphere; 彗星 is a comet, an astronomical body orbiting the Sun.
小しょう 惑わく 星せい 小惑星 means asteroid; both are small celestial bodies, but 彗星 typically refers to an icy comet that may develop a coma or tail.
Etymology A Sino-Japanese compound of 彗, conventionally associated with a broom or comet, and 星 meaning star; the compound is often understood literally as a 'broom star,' referring to the comet's tail.
