晃

㨪

huǎng, huàng

光 + 日

HSK 2.0Level 6

HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

huàng (verb) to sway; to shake

huǎng (verb) to flash; to dazzle

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 日 represents the meaning and 光 represents the sound. Simplified form of 㨪.

Semantic: 日 Phonetic: 光

About

晃 is a phono-semantic compound: the sun radical 日 sits above 光 (guāng, light), with 日 supplying the meaning of intense brightness and 光 serving as the phonetic. It primarily denotes dazzling, flashing light strong enough to momentarily blind. The character also functions as the simplified form of 㨪, from which it gains a secondary meaning of swaying or shaking, evoking the flicker of unsteady light or shifting shadows. Together, these senses capture both searing brilliance and wavering motion.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

小船在水面晃动。

Xiǎo chuán zài shuǐmiàn huàngdòng.

The small boat is rocking on the water.

孩子高兴地晃着玩具。

Háizi gāoxìng de huàng zhe wánjù.

The child is happily shaking the toy.

他晃了晃手里的杯子。

Tā huàng le huàng shǒu lǐ de bēizi.

He shook the cup in his hand.

灯光晃动，影子也在动。

Dēngguāng huàngdòng, yǐngzi yě zài dòng.

The light is flickering, and the shadow is also moving.

她被晃眼的车灯吓了一跳。

Tā bèi huàngyǎn de chēdēng xià le yī tiào.

She was startled by the dazzling car lights.

地震时，整个房子都在晃动。

Dìzhèn shí, zhěnggè fángzi dōu zài huàngdòng.

During the earthquake, the entire house was shaking.

他晃动着旗帜，向人群致意。

Tā huàngdòng zhe qízhì, xiàng rénqún zhìyì.

He waved the flag, greeting the crowd.

尽管他努力保持平衡，身体还是不由自主地晃了一下。

Jǐnguǎn tā nǔlì bǎochí pínghéng, shēntǐ háishì bùyóuzìzhǔ de huàng le yīxià.

Despite his efforts to maintain balance, his body swayed involuntarily.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 光

Component: 日

晃