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阳光 (yáng guāng) — sunshine (light and warmth from the sun)

Definition

阳光 is everyday 'sunshine' — the literal sunlight and warmth from the sun. (The 'upbeat/open' sense, as in 阳光性格, uses 阳光 as an adjective: cheerful and open, lighter than 朝气蓬勃.)

noun
sunshine (light and warmth from the sun)

Examples

  • 阳光。
    Jīn tiān wài miàn yáng guāng hěn hǎo.
    The sunshine outside is nice today.
  • 阳光。
    Wǒ xǐ huan zài yáng guāng xià kàn shū.
    I like to read in the sunshine.
  • 阳光。
    Zhè lǐ de yáng guāng hěn wēn nuǎn.
    The sunshine here is very warm.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

阳yángsun
光guānglight

阳光 joins 阳 (sun) and 光 (light) to mean the light and warmth coming from the sun.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 陽; 阳 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阜阜fùhill
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng陽yáng
Same sound today

In the traditional form 陽, 阜 shows a hill and 昜 is the older character for the word, tied to sunshine and the sound; simplified 阳 is a later shorthand.

Open 阳 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 火火huǒfire
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

The shape 光 places 火 (fire) above 卩 (a kneeling person), showing fire over the head and the shining of light.

Open 光 →
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