霓 (ní) - Secondary rainbow & atmospheric optical phenomenon appearing as a larger, fainter

霓Tone 2

ní ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

楠念

霓 · ní

Secondary rainbow;

atmospheric optical phenomenon appearing as a larger, fainter rainbow outside the primary rainbow with reversed color order.

Secondary rainbowatmospheric optical phenomenon appearing as a larger, fainter

Usage highlights

Secondary rainbowNeon lightsRainbowNeon advertisementRainbow cloudsNeon glow

Synonyms

  • 虹— Primary rainbow
  • 副虹— Secondary rainbow (technical term)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • We saw a beautiful secondary rainbow (霓虹) after the storm.
  • The neon lights (霓虹灯) create a vibrant cityscape.
  • She wore a rainbow-colored dress (霓裳).
  • The advertisement featured a neon sign (霓虹广告牌).

Collocations

  • Secondary rainbow(霓虹)
  • Neon lights(霓虹灯)
  • Rainbow-colored garment(霓裳)
  • Neon advertisement(霓虹广告)
  • Rainbow clouds(霓云)
  • Neon glow(霓虹光)

Idioms

  • Rainbow garments and feather robes(霓裳羽衣)
  • Wearing rainbow and riding the phoenix(霓裳跨凤)
  • Rainbow-like splendor(霓虹焕彩)
  • Clouds like rainbows(云霓之色)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese mythology, 霓 refers to the secondary rainbow, considered the female counterpart to the primary rainbow (虹).
  • The character appears in classical poetry and literature to describe ethereal beauty and celestial phenomena.
  • 霓裳 (rainbow garments) refers to legendary fairy clothing in Chinese mythology, particularly associated with the Moon Palace.
  • In modern usage, 霓 appears in 霓虹灯 (neon lights) due to the rainbow-like colors of neon illumination.

FAQ