影

• 読み: かげ
• ローマ字: kage
• 漢字の分解: 影 (kage/ei) — shadow, silhouette, reflection
• 発音: /ka.ɡe/

意味

Shadow; silhouette; reflection. The dark shape cast by an object blocking light.

A noun referring to the visible shadow or silhouette produced by light being blocked. Unlike 陰 which emphasizes the hidden or shaded area, 影 focuses on the visible shape itself. Common in both literal use (人の影, shadow of a person) and figurative expressions (影響, influence — literally 'shadow response').

例文

1. 夕日で自分の影が長くなった。
2. 木の影で少し休もう。
3. 水面に山の影が映っていた。

使い方ガイド

場面: nature, daily life, literature

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

The kanji 影 combines 景 (scenery, light) with 彡 (decorative lines, appearance). It originally referred to light and brightness in classical Chinese before shifting to mean the dark shape created by light — the shadow.

文化的背景

時代: Ancient

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal