光

光 U+5149, 光 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5149 ← 先 [U+5148] CJK Unified Ideographs 兊 → [U+514A]

Stroke order

光 (Kangxi radical 10, 儿+4, 6 strokes, cangjie input 火一山 (FMU), four-corner 9021₁, composition ⿱⺌兀)

• 侊, 垙, 挄, 咣, 洸, 恍, 姯, 㹰, 珖, 桄, 晄, 胱, 㿠, 硄, 絖, 輄(𨐈), 觥, 靗, 銧, 皝, 駫, 䯑
• 尡, 䆪, 韑, 輝(辉), 黋, 㒯, 耀, 兤, 茪, 晃, 䨔, 㘢

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 124, character 6
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 1350
• Dae Jaweon: page 262, character 1
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 266, character 7
• Unihan data for U+5149

simp. and trad.		光
alternative forms		灮 㶢 炗 炚 炛 灮 㶢 炗 炚 炛 烡 茪 𰰬 𰭧 㫕 𣅏 𠈑 𤈈 𤉭 𤈛 𰝼 𰟎 𤎫 𤐥 𤑋

Ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意): 火 (“fire”) + 卩 (“kneeling person”) – fire over a person's head, emphasizing the shining of light (Shuowen).

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *hwaŋ (“shine; bright; yellow”). Cognate with 黃 (OC *ɡʷaːŋ, “yellow”), 曠 (OC *kʰʷaːŋs, “bright; well-lit”), Burmese ဝင်း (wang:, “bright”).

光

1. light; beam; ray (Classifier: 束 m; 道 m)

   燈光／灯光  ―  dēngguāng  ―  lamplight

   聚光燈／聚光灯  ―  jùguāngdēng  ―  spotlight

   一束光透過門縫射進來。 [MSC, trad.]
   一束光透过门缝射进来。 [MSC, simp.]

   Yī shù guāng tòuguò ménféng shè jìnlái. [Pinyin]

   A beam of light shone through the door.

   1. (specifically, physics) ray (Classifier: 條／条)
2. to make bare; to be naked

   光著腳走路／光着脚走路  ―  guāngzhe jiǎo zǒulù  ―  to walk barefoot

   我光著呢。／我光着呢。  ―  Wǒ guāngzhe ne.  ―  I'm not decent.

   褪光光 [Hokkien]  ―  thǹg-kng-kng [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  to be naked; to be in the nude

3. only; alone

   別光吃肉，吃點蔬菜吧。 [MSC, trad.]
   别光吃肉，吃点蔬菜吧。 [MSC, simp.]

   Bié guāng chī ròu, chī diǎn shūcài ba. [Pinyin]

   Don't eat only meat. Eat some vegetables.

4. Particle used after verbs to show exhaustion or completion; until none is left

   賣光了／卖光了  ―  mài guāng le  ―  completely sold out

   我已經用光了所有的錢。 [MSC, trad.]
   我已经用光了所有的钱。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ yǐjīng yòngguāng le suǒyǒu de qián. [Pinyin]

   I've already used up all of my money.

   你毋通將錢用甲光光。 [Hokkien, trad.]
   你毋通将钱用甲光光。 [Hokkien, simp.]

   Lí m̄-thang chiong chîⁿ ēng kah kng kng. [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

   Don't completely used up the money.

5. scenery; sight

   風光／风光  ―  fēngguāng  ―  landscape

6. glory; pride; honor

   臺灣之光／台湾之光  ―  Táiwān zhī guāng  ―  the pride of Taiwan; someone who has brought glory to Taiwan

7. time

   光陰／光阴  ―  guāngyīn  ―  the limited time available in a person's life

   時光／时光  ―  shíguāng  ―  the inevitable passing of events from future to present then past

8. bright

   光明  ―  guāngmíng  ―  bright; shining

   呢度好光。 [Cantonese]  ―  ni¹ dou⁶ hou² gwong¹. [Jyutping]  ―  It's very bright here.

   這間房間真光。 [Hokkien, trad.]
   这间房间真光。 [Hokkien, simp.]

   Chit keng pâng-keng chin kng. [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

   This room is very bright.

9. brightness; luster

   光澤／光泽  ―  guāngzé  ―  luster; gloss; sheen

10. smooth; glossy; polished; shiny; sleek

    光滑  ―  guānghuá  ―  smooth; glossy; sleek

    石頭磨甲真光。 [Hokkien, trad.]
    石头磨甲真光。 [Hokkien, simp.]

    Chio̍h-thâu bôa kah chin kng. [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

    The stone is polished smooth.

11. (figurative) advantage; benefit; goodness

    沾光  ―  zhānguāng  ―  to benefit from an association with someone

12. to add honor to; to win honor for; to add luster on

    光宗耀祖  ―  guāngzōngyàozǔ  ―  to bring honour to one's ancestors and clan

13. (literary) to glorify; to bring honor to; to exalt; to make conspicuous
14. Used in polite expressions.

    光臨／光临  ―  guānglín  ―  presence (polite)

    光顧／光顾  ―  guānggù  ―  to visit; to come; to patronize

15. (Hokkien) to become bright; to brighten

    天光囉。／天光啰。 [Hokkien]  ―  Thian kng lô. [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  The sky has become bright.

16. a surname

• (light):

• (ray (physics)): 射線／射线 (shèxiàn)
• (only): (Xiang) 盡／尽 (jìn)
• (bright):

• (antonym(s) of “bright”): 暗 (àn), 黑 (hēi)

光

1. (historical dictionaries only) to color

• “光”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• “光”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.

(Second grade kyōiku kanji)

• Go-on: こう (kō, Jōyō)^{←くわう (kwau, historical)}
• Kan-on: こう (kō, Jōyō)^{←くわう (kwau, historical)}
• Kun: ひかり (hikari, 光, Jōyō)、ひかる (hikaru, 光る, Jōyō)
• Nanori: あき (aki)、あきら (akira)、てる (teru)、ひこ (hiko)、み (mi)、みつ (mitsu)

• 竹光(たけみつ) (takemitsu)

Kanji in this term
光
ひかり Grade: 2
kun'yomi

⟨pi₁kari⟩ → */pʲikari/ → /ɸikari/ → /hikari/

From Old Japanese.

Nominalization of the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 光る (hikaru, “to shine, to glitter, to gleam”).^[1][2]

• (Tokyo) ひかり [hìkáríꜜ] (Odaka – [3])^[3][2]
• IPA^(key): [çi̥ka̠ɾʲi]

光(ひかり) • (hikari)  (counter 筋)

1. a physically perceived light:
   1. a light, beam, illumination
   2. a gleam, glow, ray
   3. a glimmer, shine, sparkle

      ダイヤモンドの光(ひかり)

      daiyamondo no hikari

      a diamond's glitter / shine / twinkling

   4. a luster/lustre, polish, sheen
2. a metaphorical light:
   1. glory, influence, power
   2. a glimmer, gleam

      前(ぜん)途(と)に光(ひかり)を失(うしな)う

      zento ni hikari o ushinau

      to lose light regarding the future → future prospects grow dim

      解(かい)決(けつ)への道(みち)に光(ひかり)を投(な)げかける

      kaiketsu e no michi ni hikari o nagekakeru

      to shed light on the way to a solution

   3. positive aspect

      インターネット時(じ)代(だい)の光(ひかり)

      intānetto jidai no hikari

      the positive aspect of the internet age

   4. a displaying, putting on airs
   5. a vision, eyesight
3. (optics) relating to light or vision: optical, photo-

   光(ひかり)ファイバー

   hikari faibā

   optical fiber

4. (colloquial) short for 光り物 (hikarimono): sashimi with some of the silver-colored skin left
6. (hanafuda) any of the five highest ranked playing cards in a hanafuda deck

   Synonym: 光札 (hikarifuda)

• (glitter): 光(こう)沢(たく) (kōtaku)
• (glory): 栄(は)え (hae), 栄(えい)光(こう) (eikō)

• (antonym(s) of “positive aspect”): 影(かげ) (kage, “negative aspect”)

• 蛍(ほたる)の光(ひかり)窓(まど)の雪(ゆき) (hotaru no hikari mado no yuki, “firefly's dim light, snow reflected on the window → diligent study”)

• → Okinawan: 光 (fikari)

光(ひかり) • (Hikari) 

1. Hikari (a city in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan)
2. one of the bullet train services running on the 東海道 (Tōkaido) or 山陽 (San'yō) shinkansen
3. a surname
4. a male or female given name

Kanji in this term
光
ひか(る) Grade: 2
kun'yomi

Nominalization of the verb 光る (hikaru, “to shine, to glitter, to gleam”).

• (Tokyo) ひかる [hìkáꜜrù] (Nakadaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [çika̠ɾɯ̟]

光(ひかる) • (Hikaru) 

1. a unisex given name

Kanji in this term
光
こう Grade: 2
on'yomi

/kʷau/ → /kʷɔː/ → /kɔː/ → /koː/

From Middle Chinese 光 (MC kwang).

Compare modern Mandarin 光 (guāng), Hakka 光 (kông), and Min Nan 光 (kong).

• (Tokyo) こー [kóꜜò] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ko̞ː]

光(こう) • (kō) ^{←くわう (kwau)?}

1. light, gleam, shine
2. gleaming, shining
3. scenery
4. glory, honor/honour, pride
5. enlightening
6. exhaust, run out

光(こう) • (Kō) ^{←くわう (Kwau)?}

1. a male or female given name

From Middle Chinese 光 (MC kwang).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	과ᇰ (Yale: kwàng)
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
	Gloss (hun)	Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527[2]	빗〮 (Yale: pís)	과ᇰ (Yale: kwàng)

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [kwa̠ŋ]
• Phonetic hangul: [광]

Wikisource

光 (eumhun 빛 광 (bit gwang))

1. hanja form^? of 광 (“light; shine, lustre”) [noun]
2. hanja form^? of 광 (“light”) [affix]

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [3]

(Second grade kyōiku kanji)

• On (unclassified): く (ku)
• Kun: ふぃちゃい (fichai, 光)、ふぃちゃゆん (fichayun, 光ゆん)

• 夜(や)光(く)貝(げー) (yakugē)

Kanji in this term
光
ふぃちゃい Grade: 2
kun'yomi

Inherited from Proto-Ryukyuan *pikari, from Proto-Japonic *pikari. Cognate with Japanese 光(ひかり) (hikari).

The stem form of verb 光(ふぃちゃ)ゆん (fichayun, “to shine, gleam”).

• (Shuri-Naha) ふぃちゃい [fìcháí] (Heiban - [0])
• IPA^(key): [ɸit͡ɕai]

光(ふぃちゃい) (fichai) 

1. light
2. lush, polish, sheen

• 月(ちち)ぬ光(ふぃちゃい) (chichi nu fichai)
• 日(ふぃー)ぬ光(ふぃちゃい) (fī nu fichai)

Kanji in this term
光
ふぃかり Grade: 2

Borrowed from Japanese 光(ひかり) (hikari).

Doublet of 光 (fichai) above.

• (Shuri-Naha) ふぃかり [fìkárí] (Heiban - [0])
• IPA^(key): [ɸikaɾi]

光(ふぃかり) (fikari) 

1. light
2. (rare, obsolete) authority, power, influence, honor

• う光(ふぃかり) (ufikari)

Nominalization of the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 光る (pi₁karu, “to shine, to glitter, to gleam”).^[1][2]

光 (pi₁kari) (kana ひかり)

1. a light

For quotations using this term, see Citations:光.

• Japanese: 光 (hikari)

光: Hán Nôm readings: quang

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