亮光 (liàng guāng) — a flash of light; a beam of light; a gleam

Definition

A flash or gleam of light — a single, brief, often small point of brightness, unlike a steady 光 ('light' in general). Collocated with measure word 道 for a beam/flash.

noun
a flash of lighta beam of lighta gleam
Measure word · 道

Examples

  • 亮光。
    Hēi àn zhōng de yí liàng guāng ràng tā gǎn dào ān xīn.
    A flash of light in the dark made him feel relieved.
  • 亮光。
    Hú miàn shàng fǎn shè chū diǎn diǎn liàng guāng.
    The lake reflected specks of light.
  • ，亮光。
    Tā dǎ kāi shǒu diàn tǒng, yí shù liàng guāng zhào xiàng qián fāng.
    He turned on the flashlight, and a beam of light shone ahead.

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.

亮liàngbright
光guānglight

亮光 joins 亮 (bright) and 光 (light) for a flash or gleam of light.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
京
京jīng亮liàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

亮 combines 人 (person) with 京, and the 京 part shows a tower body.

Open 亮 →

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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