noun HSK 4
Traditional 閃電
lightning · flash of lightning
Meaning
闪电 refers to the natural electrical discharge that occurs during thunderstorms, producing a bright flash of light in the sky. It's a common meteorological term used in everyday conversation when discussing weather.
Usage
Native speakers use 闪电 both literally for the weather phenomenon and metaphorically to describe something extremely fast or sudden. It commonly appears with verbs like 打 (dǎ, to strike) or 闪 (shǎn, to flash). Often paired with 打雷 (thunder) when describing stormy weather.
Examples
- 01天空中突然划过一道闪电。.A flash of lightning suddenly streaked across the sky.
- 02他以闪电般的速度完成了任务。.He completed the task at lightning speed.
Characters
Measure words
- 道一道闪电
Common collocations
- 打闪电lightning strikes
- 闪电般lightning-fast, like lightning
- 闪电战blitzkrieg, lightning war
- 一道闪电a flash of lightning
Origin
The word combines 闪 (flash) and 电 (electricity), literally meaning 'flashing electricity,' which vividly describes the visual phenomenon of lightning.