照 meaning and stroke order
According to; in accordance with; to shine
How to write 照, stroke by stroke
13 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
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
Meaning of 照
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- according to
- in accordance with
- to shine
- to illuminate
- to reflect
- to look at (one's reflection)
How 照 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Fire.
灬 gives the meaning and 昭 hints at the sound.
Radical: 灬 (fire), shared by 28 characters on this site.
How to remember 照
照 is built from 昭 (zhāo, bright) on top and 灬, the fire dots, below. Picture bright light from a fire underneath that shines on things and lights them up, and 昭 also gives the sound zhào.
照 appears in many everyday words about light and images, like 照片 (zhàopiàn, photo) and 拍照 (pāizhào, to take a picture), and in documents like 护照 (hùzhào, passport) and 驾照 (jiàzhào, driver's license). It also means "according to" in words like 按照 (ànzhào). Example: 我们在这里拍照吧。(Wǒmen zài zhèlǐ pāizhào ba.) Let's take a picture here.
Common mistake: Learners often drop the four dots 灬 at the bottom and write only 昭, or put a 刀 where the 召 part belongs. Also keep the fourth tone zhào, which is different from the first tone zhāo in 昭.
Common words with 照
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 照片 | zhàopiàn | photograph | HSK 2 |
| 照顾 | zhàogù | to take care of; to show consideration | HSK 2 |
| 护照 | hùzhào | passport | HSK 2 |
| 照相 | zhàoxiàng | to take a photograph | HSK 2 |
| 按照 | ànzhào | according to; in accordance with; on the basis of | HSK 3 |
| 拍照 | pāizhào | to take a picture | HSK 4 |
| 驾照 | jiàzhào | driver's license (abbr. for 駕駛執照|驾驶执照[jia4 shi3 zhi2 zhao4]) | HSK 5 |
| 依照 | yīzhào | according to; in light of | HSK 5 |
| 照耀 | zhàoyào | to shine; to illuminate | HSK 6 |
| 照样 | zhàoyàng | as before; (same) as usual | HSK 6 |
| 执照 | zhízhào | license; permit | HSK 7-9 |
| 照料 | zhàoliào | to tend; to take care of sb | HSK 7-9 |
| 关照 | guānzhào | to take care; to keep an eye on | HSK 7-9 |
| 牌照 | páizhào | (business) license; vehicle license | HSK 7-9 |
照 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 照
How many strokes are in 照?
照 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 照 mean?
照 (zhào) means according to; in accordance with; to shine. A common word with it is 照片 (zhàopiàn), meaning "photograph".
How do you pronounce 照?
照 is pronounced zhào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 照?
The radical of 照 is 灬, which carries the idea of "fire". Dictionaries list 照 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 照?
The traditional form of 照 is 炤. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 照 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 照 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 照 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 照片 and 照相?
照片 (zhàopiàn) is a noun meaning the photo itself. 照相 (zhàoxiàng) is a verb meaning to take a photo, much like 拍照 (pāizhào).
Can 照 mean to look in a mirror?
Yes. 照镜子 (zhào jìngzi) means to look at yourself in a mirror, using the sense of seeing your reflection.