炤 meaning and stroke order
To illuminate, to light up; to reflect
How to write 炤, stroke by stroke
9 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
- 7
- 8
- 9
How 炤 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Fire.
火 gives the meaning and 召 hints at the sound.
Radical: 火 (fire), shared by 128 characters on this site.
How to remember 炤
Fire 火 on the left gives the meaning, and 召 (zhào, to summon) on the right gives the sound. Picture a fire that summons light into a dark room, lighting it up.
炤 is a rare variant of 照 (zhào) and appears mostly in classical texts, names, and old writing. In modern Chinese people almost always write 照 instead, as in 阳光照在湖面上 (yángguāng zhào zài húmiàn shang), the sunlight shines on the lake.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 炤 where everyday Chinese expects 照, for example in 照片 (zhàopiàn, photo) or 照顾 (zhàogù, to take care of). Use 照 in all ordinary modern writing. Also do not confuse 炤 with 招 (zhāo, to beckon), which has the hand radical 扌 and a first tone.
Questions about 炤
How many strokes are in 炤?
炤 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 炤 mean?
炤 (zhào) means to illuminate, to light up; to reflect.
How do you pronounce 炤?
炤 is pronounced zhào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 炤?
The radical of 炤 is 火, which carries the idea of "fire". Dictionaries list 炤 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 炤?
炤 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 照, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 炤 and 照?
They share the same sound and the core meaning of shining or illuminating. 照 is the standard modern form, with 召 on top and four fire dots 灬 below. 炤 puts 火 on the left and is now mainly found in classical texts or personal names.
Why might I see 炤 in a person's name?
Parents sometimes pick rarer characters for names to look distinctive while keeping a good meaning. 炤 suggests brightness and light, so it has a positive feel, and it is read zhào just like 照.