ChiramiN4 kanji · 6 strokes
光 means light
光
⺌ fire · 儿 a person
光Real origin
Fire above a person's head: light.
Real origin: where the kanji comes from, as far as scholars agree.
Meaning and readings
- Meanings
- ray, light
- JLPT level
- N4
- Strokes
- 6
- School grade
- Grade 2 in Japan
Japanese (kunyomi) ひかる hikaru
ひかる (hikaru) is the Japanese word for this kanji. You use it when the kanji stands alone or has kana after it. Dictionaries call this the kun reading.
Other Japanese readings: ひかり hikari
From Chinese (onyomi) コウ kou
コウ (kou) came from Chinese with the character. You mostly hear it in words made of several kanji. Dictionaries call this the on reading.
Tap a reading to see when it's used. Why kanji have two kinds of reading: onyomi vs kunyomi.
Common word
光る ひかる · hikaru
to shine, to glitter
Built from
Tap a part to see the N5 and N4 kanji that use it.
⺌ Used in 37 kanji
See all 3 at N5 and N4Quick check
What does 光 mean?
Right: 光 means light.Not quite: 光 means light.In 光る, which reading does 光 use?
Right. 光る is read ひかる (hikaru): 光 takes ひか, its Japanese reading, with る after it.Not quite. 光る is read ひかる (hikaru): 光 takes ひか, its Japanese reading, with る after it.