Meaning
彩虹 refers to the natural phenomenon of a rainbow that appears in the sky after rain when sunlight refracts through water droplets. In Chinese culture, rainbows are often seen as symbols of hope, beauty, and good fortune. The word literally combines 彩 (colorful) and 虹 (arc in the sky).
Usage
彩虹 is used in both literal and metaphorical contexts. Literally, it describes the rainbow in the sky. Metaphorically, it can represent hope, diversity, or something beautiful and fleeting. Common in everyday conversation, literature, and song lyrics. Often appears with verbs like 出现 (appear) or 看到 (see).
Examples
- 01雨停了以后，天空出现了一道美丽的彩虹。, .After the rain stopped, a beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky.
- 02你看！那边有彩虹，我们去拍照吧！! , !Look! There's a rainbow over there, let's go take photos!
Characters
Measure words
- 道一道彩虹
- 条一条彩虹
Common collocations
- 雨后彩虹rainbow after rain
- 彩虹桥rainbow bridge
- 看到彩虹to see a rainbow
- 出现彩虹a rainbow appears
Origin
虹 originally depicted an arc-shaped dragon or serpent in ancient Chinese mythology, as rainbows were sometimes associated with dragons. 彩 adds the meaning of multiple colors, making the compound word clearly refer to the colorful arc phenomenon.