光 meaning and stroke order
Light; ray (CL:道[dao4]); bright; shiny; only; merely
How to write 光, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Meaning of 光
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- light; ray (CL:道[dao4])
- bright; shiny
- only; merely
- used up; finished
- to leave (a part of the body) uncovered
How 光 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A person 儿 carrying a torch 火.
Radical: 儿 (son), shared by 24 characters on this site.
How to remember 光
The top part ⺌ looks like flames from a torch 火, and the bottom 兀 is like a person 儿 holding it up. A person carrying fire over their head gives off light.
光 (guāng) means light, as in 阳光 (yángguāng) sunshine and 灯光 (dēngguāng) lamplight. After a verb it means something is used up, and before a noun or verb it can mean only. 钱都花光了。(Qián dōu huā guāng le.) The money is all spent.
Common mistake: Learners often miss the result meaning 'used up' and read 吃光了 (chī guāng le) as something about light, when it means 'ate it all.' Also do not confuse the top ⺌ with 小 (xiǎo): in 光 the middle stroke is a vertical with two dots beside it, and the bottom 兀 ends in a hooked stroke like 儿.
Common words with 光
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 阳光 | yángguāng | sunshine; (of personality) upbeat; energetic | HSK 3 |
| 光明 | guāngmíng | light; radiance | HSK 3 |
| 不光 | bùguāng | not the only one; not only | HSK 3 |
| 灯光 | dēngguāng | (stage) lighting; light | HSK 4 |
| 光临 | guānglín | (formal) to honor with one's presence; to attend | HSK 4 |
| 光盘 | guāngpán | compact disc (CD); DVD; CD-ROM | HSK 4 |
| 时光 | shíguāng | time (esp. as sth that passes) | HSK 5 |
| 眼光 | yǎnguāng | gaze; insight | HSK 5 |
| 光荣 | guāngróng | honor and glory; glorious | HSK 5 |
| 光线 | guāngxiàn | light ray; light | HSK 5 |
| 目光 | mùguāng | gaze; (fig.) attention; expression in one's eyes; look | HSK 5 |
| 风光 | fēngguāng | scene; view | HSK 5 |
| 光辉 | guānghuī | radiance; glory | HSK 6 |
| 观光 | guānguāng | to tour; sightseeing | HSK 6 |
光 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 光
Learning 光 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 光
How many strokes are in 光?
光 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 光 mean?
光 (guāng) means light; ray (CL:道[dao4]); bright; shiny; only; merely. A common word with it is 阳光 (yángguāng), meaning "sunshine; (of personality) upbeat; energetic".
How do you pronounce 光?
光 is pronounced guāng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 光?
The radical of 光 is 儿, which carries the idea of "son". Dictionaries list 光 under this radical.
Is 光 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 光 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What does 欢迎光临 mean in shops?
欢迎光临 (huānyíng guānglín) is a polite greeting meaning 'welcome, thank you for coming.' 光临 is a formal way to honor someone's visit, so you hear it at store entrances and restaurants.
How is 光 different from 只 when it means only?
Both can mean only, but 光 (guāng) is more spoken and often stresses doing nothing else, as in 光说不做 (guāng shuō bú zuò) all talk, no action. 只 (zhǐ) is the neutral, more common choice in writing.