耀 meaning and stroke order
To sparkle, to shine, to dazzle; glory
How to write 耀, stroke by stroke
20 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 耀
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- brilliant
- glorious
How 耀 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A peacock 翟 with a brilliant 光 tail.
Radical: 羽 (feather), shared by 26 characters on this site.
How to remember 耀
On the left is 光 (guāng, light), and on the right is 翟 (dí), a long-tailed pheasant. Picture a peacock spreading a tail that shines with light, and you have 耀: brilliant, dazzling, glorious.
耀 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It appears in two-character words for shining, like 照耀 (zhàoyào) and 闪耀 (shǎnyào), and in words for showing off or glory, like 炫耀 (xuànyào) and 荣耀 (róngyào). Example: 阳光照耀着大地。(Yángguāng zhàoyào zhe dàdì.) The sunlight shines on the earth.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as 翌 or 習 and forget the 隹 (bird) under the 羽 in 翟. Some also mix up 耀 with 跃 (yuè, to leap) because 跳跃 and 照耀 sound like set phrases with similar rhythm.
Common words with 耀
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
耀 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 耀
How many strokes are in 耀?
耀 is written with 20 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 耀 mean?
耀 (yào) means to sparkle, to shine, to dazzle; glory. A common word with it is 照耀 (zhàoyào), meaning "to shine; to illuminate".
How do you pronounce 耀?
耀 is pronounced yào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 耀?
The radical of 耀 is 羽, which carries the idea of "feather". Dictionaries list 耀 under this radical.
Is 耀 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 耀 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 炫耀 and 夸耀?
Both mean to show off. 炫耀 (xuànyào) often means flaunting something visible, like money or a new phone. 夸耀 (kuāyào) leans toward bragging in words about your achievements.
Is 耀眼 positive or negative?
耀眼 (yàoyǎn) is mostly neutral or positive, meaning dazzling or eye-catching, as in 耀眼的明星 (a dazzling star). It can also describe light so bright it hurts your eyes.