Kanji: 虹 (Rainbow)
The kanji 虹 means "rainbow." It beautifully combines the radical for "insect/worm" (虫) with "work/construction" (工), as ancient Chinese thought the rainbow was a giant, two-headed serpent drinking from the earth.
Key Reading:
Kun-yomi (Japanese reading): にじ (niji)
On-yomi (Sino-Japanese reading): コウ (kō)
Common Words & Usage:
虹 (niji) - Noun. A rainbow.
虹彩 (kōsai) - Noun. The iris of the eye.
虹色 (nijiiro) - Noun. Rainbow-colored, iridescent.
Example Sentence:
Japanese: 雨上がりの空に美しい虹がかかった。
Romaji: Ameagari no sora ni utsukushii niji ga kakatta.
English: A beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky after the rain.
Learning the correct stroke order for kanji like 虹 is essential for balanced, legible Japanese handwriting and is a fundamental part of mastering kanji writing.