Meaning

Primary

Light

Word Type

noun

Explanation

What makes it bright around here? It's the light!

Now you might wonder: how is this different from (ひかり)? is more general, and often used specifically for sunlight. 明かり often refers to some specific source of light, like the kind that illuminates a room, so it's often used for light that comes from lamps.

Reading

あかり
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

Do you remember the adjective 明るい (あかるい), meaning "bright"? As you can see, these words are quite similar! You just need to remember that the in 明かり isn't part of the kanji, like in 明るい.

Context

Common Word Combinations

  • 明かりが見える

    light can be seen

    明かりが点く

    a light gets lit

    明かりが入る

    light comes in

Context Sentences

ここからは町の明かりが見える。

You can see the city's lights from here.

この辺は明かりが少ない。

There's not much light around here.

今日は月の明かりだけで、キャンプができそうです。

It seems like we can camp with only the moonlight today.

Kanji Composition