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    Chinese Grammar

    Using 虹 (hóng) to refer to a rainbow

    Numbers & Quantity

    Explanation

    虹 means "rainbow" and is the literary or classical term for the arc of colors that appears in the sky after rain. In modern Chinese, the full compound 彩虹 is more commonly used in everyday speech, but 虹 alone appears in formal writing and set phrases.

    Examples

    • 雨后天空出现了一道虹，美极了。

      yǔ hòu tiānkōng chūxiànle yī dào hóng, měi jíle.

      A rainbow appeared in the sky after the rain — it was absolutely beautiful.

    • 夕阳映照下，远处隐约可见一道虹。

      xīyáng yìngzhào xià, yuǎnchù yǐnyuē kějiàn yī dào hóng.

      Under the glow of the sunset, a rainbow was faintly visible in the distance.

    • 孩子们兴奋地指着天上的虹大喊起来。

      háizimen xīngfèn de zhǐzhe tiānshàng de hóng dà hǎn qǐlái.

      The children excitedly pointed at the rainbow in the sky and shouted.

    Using 虹 (hóng) to refer to a rainbow | Chinese Grammar