Definitions

guāng (noun) light; brightness
guāng (adjective) bright; shining
guāng (adverb) only; merely
guāng (verb) to use up; to exhaust
guāng (verb) bring honor to

Etymology

Pictograph of fire on top of a person.

About

The character 光 is an ideograph originally depicting a person carrying a torch above their head, representing a source of illumination. The upper portion signifies fire or glowing light, while the lower portion, written as 儿 in its modern form, represents the person holding the light. Its core meaning centers on light, brightness, and radiant energy from sources like the sun or fire. From this literal sense of illumination, several extended meanings developed, including glory, honor, the passage of time, optical phenomena, and an adverbial sense indicating completeness or that nothing remains.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

很明亮。

Dēngguāng hěn míngliàng.

The light is very bright.

太阳很温暖。

Tàiyáng guāng hěn wēnnuǎn.

The sunlight is very warm.

着脚走路。

Tā guāng zhe jiǎo zǒulù.

She walks barefoot.

我们要珍惜阴。

Wǒmen yào zhēnxī guāngyīn.

We should cherish time.

靠运气是不够的。

Guāng kào yùnqì shì bù gòu de.

Relying solely on luck is not enough.

荣地完成了任务。

Tā guāngróng de wánchéngle rènwù.

He gloriously completed the mission.

这座城市彩夺目。

Zhè zuò chéngshì guāngcǎi duómù.

This city is dazzlingly brilliant.

科学家发现了新的谱。

Kēxuéjiā fāxiànle xīn de guāngpǔ.

Scientists discovered a new spectrum.