光

guāng

⺌ + 兀

HSK 2.0Level 4

HSK 3.0Level 4

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 a pictograph of fire over a person, originally depicting someone carrying a burning torch above their head. The upper part represents the fire or glowing light, and the lower part (now written 儿) represents the person. Its core meaning is light or brightness. From this, it developed extended meanings of glory, honor, the passage of time, optical phenomena, and an adverbial sense of "completely" or "used up".

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

灯光很明亮。

Dēngguāng hěn míngliàng.

The light is very bright.

太阳光很温暖。

Tàiyáng guāng hěn wēnnuǎn.

The sunlight is very warm.

她光着脚走路。

Tā guāng zhe jiǎo zǒulù.

She walks barefoot.

我们要珍惜光阴。

Wǒmen yào zhēnxī guāngyīn.

We should cherish time.

光靠运气是不够的。

Guāng kào yùnqì shì bù gòu de.

Relying solely on luck is not enough.

他光荣地完成了任务。

Tā guāngróng de wánchéngle rènwù.

He gloriously completed the mission.

这座城市光彩夺目。

Zhè zuò chéngshì guāngcǎi duómù.

This city is dazzlingly brilliant.

科学家发现了新的光谱。

Kēxuéjiā fāxiànle xīn de guāngpǔ.

Scientists discovered a new spectrum.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: ⺌

Component: 兀

Example Words