dōng
䗖𬟽
rainbow
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 2 examplesnoun
rainbow
literaryAn archaic, literary term for 'rainbow'. Usually appears in classical Chinese texts or poetic contexts. The character is almost exclusively used in the compound 螮蝀 (dì dōng), meaning 'rainbow'.
Dì螮
dōng蝀
zài在
dōng东
，
mò莫
zhī之
gǎn敢
zhǐ指
。
There is a rainbow in the east; no one dares point at it. (from the Classic of Poetry)
Zhāo朝
jī隮
yú于
xī西
，
chóng崇
zhāo朝
qí其
yǔ雨
。
Nǚ女
zǐ子
yǒu有
xíng行
，
yuǎn远
xiōng兄
dì弟
fù父
mǔ母
。
Dì螮
dōng蝀
zài在
dōng东
，
mò莫
zhī之
gǎn敢
zhǐ指
。
Nǚ女
zǐ子
yǒu有
xíng行
，
yuǎn远
fù父
mǔ母
xiōng兄
dì弟
。
A morning rainbow is in the west; it will rain by dawn. A girl is leaving to be married, far from her brothers and parents. A rainbow is in the east; no one dares point at it. A girl is leaving to be married, far from her parents and brothers. (excerpt from the Classic of Poetry, Book of Odes)