稲いな妻ずま

い

な

ず

ま

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

noun

lightning; lightning bolt

Refers to a visible lightning discharge in the sky. Common in both literal and figurative contexts.

遠とおくで稲いな妻ずまが光ひかった。
Lightning flashed in the distance.
彼かれの動うごきは稲いな妻ずまのように速はやかった。
His movement was as quick as lightning.

See all 93 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

稲いな妻ずまが光ひかるlightning flashes
空そらに稲いな妻ずまが光ひかった。
Lightning flashed across the sky.
稲いな妻ずまが走はしるa bolt of lightning streaks (across the sky)
夜よ空ぞらに一ひと筋すじの稲いな妻ずまが走はしった。
A streak of lightning shot across the night sky.
稲いな妻ずまのように〈動どう詞し〉to (do something) like a flash of lightning, i.e. extremely fast
彼かれは稲いな妻ずまのように走はしり去さった。
He dashed away like a flash of lightning.

Kanji

稲rice plant
妻wife, spouse
電electricity

Related words

雷かみなりN4
雷 refers to the whole thunder-and-lightning phenomenon including the sound, while 稲妻 specifically names the visible flash of light.
稲いな光びかりN1
稲光 and 稲妻 both mean a flash of lightning, but 稲光 emphasizes the light itself and sounds slightly more casual than 稲妻.
電でん光こう
電光 is a more technical or literary word for a flash of light or lightning, often seen in set phrases like 電光石火, while 稲妻 is the everyday word.
ライトニング
稲妻 is a native, more literary or descriptive word for a flash of lightning, whereas ライトニング is a borrowed term used in casual or branding contexts.

Don't confuse with

落らく雷らい
稲妻 describes the visible flash of lightning in the sky, whereas 落雷 describes the event of lightning hitting something.

Counted with

筋すじN2
muscle; tendon; sinew · vein; artery · fiber; string · line; stripe; streak · reason; logic · plot; storyline · lineage; descent · school (of thought or art) · aptitude; talent · source (of information); channel · well-informed person (in a deal) · logical move (in go, shogi) · ninth vertical line (shogi) · seam on a helmet · gristly fish paste · social position; status · along (a river, road, etc.) · counter for long thin things; counter for roads/blocks · street (in Osaka) · counter for hundreds of mon (Edo period)

Word family

イナズマヨコバイ
zig-zag rice leafhopper

Written forms

稲妻Usage84%
- いなずま
  Standard kanji spelling; the reading いなずま is the modern standard pronunciation.
- いなづま
イナズマUsage9%
いなずまUsage4%
Kana spelling; useful when the kanji is not needed or for clarity.
いなづまUsage2%
電Usage1%
rarely-used kanji form
- いなずま
  Rarely used kanji form; Not recommended for learners.
- いなづま
イナヅマUsage<1%

Etymology

Compound of 稲 (ina, 'rice plant') and 妻 (tsuma, 'spouse'), from an old belief that lightning fertilizes rice plants. The reading いなずま is a sound change from いなづま.