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点滅 (てんめつ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb, intransitive verb
flashing ; blinking ; flickering ; switching on and off
Describes lights or indicators that repeatedly turn on and off, or the action of making them do so. Used for both automatic blinking (intransitive) and manual switching (transitive).
警けい
告こく
灯とう
を
点てん
滅めつ
さ
せ
て
後こう
続ぞく
車しゃ
に
知し
ら
せ
た
。
I flashed the warning lights to alert the car behind.
Kanji 滅 destroy, ruin, overthrow Similar words 瞬またた く 瞬く often refers to a brief, natural flicker (like stars twinkling or eyes blinking), while 点滅 implies a more mechanical or intentional on/off cycle.
ちらつく ちらつく suggests an unsteady, irregular flickering (like a faulty light), whereas 点滅 is a regular, repeating pattern.
Etymology Compound of 点 (ten, 'point' or 'light') and 滅 (metsu, 'extinguish'), literally 'light on and off'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji combination directly reflects the meaning.
