The Meaning of akari [灯] In Japanese

灯
あかり
Romaji: akari N5

What does 灯 mean?

Translation and Meaning

lamp, light, illumination

Definition

灯 means a lamp or light; it designates illumination and is used to refer to the source of light or the act of lighting in everyday and literary contexts.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Physical light source such as a lamp, lantern, or candle
  • The glow or illumination of a place, object, or scene
  • Used in compounds to denote lighting concepts or devices, for example 灯台 and 灯油

Etymology

From the Chinese character 灯, giving the Sino-Japanese reading tō; the native Japanese reading akari carries the sense of illumination.

Composition

灯 is a single kanji meaning light; there are no smaller kanji components to break down, and its meaning arises from the character as a whole, frequently appearing in compounds to express illumination-related concepts.

Usage

Used as a standalone noun for a lamp or light in everyday speech (あかり, akari), in literature as a symbol of illumination, and in compounds such as 灯台 (toudai) and 灯油 (touyu); common verb forms include 灯す (tomosu) and 灯る (tomoru).
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture a small lamp with a bright glow rising from the bottom; the bottom suggests fire, reminding you that 灯 is about lighting and light (akari).

Variations

  • 灯り (あかり, akari) — common everyday synonym for light
  • 照明 (しょうめい, shoumei) — lighting/illumination in design or technical contexts
  • 闇 (やみ, yami) — opposite of light, darkness

Words with the same Kanji

Example Phrases

  • 帰宅途中、赤い灯が窓辺を照らす。
    Kitaku tochū, akai akari ga madobe o terasu.
    On the way home, the red light illuminates the windowsill.
    Lista:
    • 帰宅途中 (kitaku tochū) – on the way home
    • 赤い (akai) – red
    • 灯 (akari) – light
    • が (ga) – subject marker
    • 窓辺 (madobe) – windowsill
    • を (wo) – object marker
    • 照らす (terasu) – illuminate
    The noun 「灯」 means light or lamp; here it functions as the subject of 照らす, showing that the light illuminates the area. 赤い describes the color of the light.
  • 灯油がなくなったので、給油所へ行く。
    Tōyu ga nakunatta node, kyūyusho e iku.
    I’m going to the gas station because we’re out of kerosene.
    Lista:
    • 灯油 (tōyu) – kerosene
    • が (ga) – subject marker
    • なくなった (nakunatta) – ran out
    • ので (node) – because
    • 給油所 (kyūyusho) – gas station
    • へ (e) – to
    • 行く (iku) – go
    Core point: 「灯油」 means kerosene; 灯油がなくなったので expresses cause (‘because we ran out’).
灯