稲いな妻ずま

い

な

ず

ま

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

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.

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%

Kanji

稲rice plant
妻wife, spouse
電electricity

Similar words

雷かみなり
雷 is the general word for thunder and lightning as a phenomenon, often including the sound. 稲妻 specifically refers to the visible flash.
電でん光こう
電光 is a more technical or literary term for a flash of lightning or electric light, often used in compounds like 電光石火.

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.