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暠 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
gǎodaybreak; brilliant, brightzg, 14 strokes, radical 日, Very Hard
gǎowhiteunknown, 14 strokes, radical 日, Very Hard
gǎo(gao3) T3
  1. 1daybreak; brilliant, bright
  2. 2white
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March 24, 2026
gǎo(gao3)

The character 暠 (gǎo) means 'daybreak' or 'bright', often used to describe the first light of dawn or a sense of brilliance. It conveys a feeling of clarity and illumination, both literally and metaphorically, and can be applied in poetic contexts to express awakening or enlightenment.

Strokes14RadicalFrequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese poetry, the imagery of dawn or daybreak often symbolizes new beginnings and hope. The character 暠 reflects this cultural appreciation of natural phenomena as metaphors for life's transitions.

Memory Tip

Imagine a bright morning where the sun is just beginning to rise (the 'daybreak'). The character 暠 has a sun (日) shining over a bright sky (光), symbolizing the start of a new day filled with light. Connect 'gǎo' to 'glow' for an easier recall of both sound and meaning.

Meanings of 暠

gǎo(gao3)
1daybreak; brilliant, bright
2white
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 暠

Simplified
14Strokes
Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 暠

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AI Study Notes for 暠

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a bright morning where the sun is just beginning to rise (the 'daybreak'). The character 暠 has a sun (日) shining over a bright sky (光), symbolizing the start of a new day filled with light. Connect 'gǎo' to 'glow' for an easier recall of both sound and meaning.

Usage Notes

When using 暠, be mindful of the context in which you describe brightness or illumination, as it is more literary and less common in everyday speech. A common mistake is to confuse it with 光 (guāng), which is more general for 'light'. Use 暠 in poetic or artistic expressions rather than in casual conversation.

HSK Study Tips

As 暠 is not part of the HSK vocabulary lists, learners should focus on its components and similar characters like 光 (guāng) and 明 (míng) that deal with brightness. Understanding these relationships will enhance your vocabulary on light and clarity concepts.

Cultural Note

In Chinese poetry, the imagery of dawn or daybreak often symbolizes new beginnings and hope. The character 暠 reflects this cultural appreciation of natural phenomena as metaphors for life's transitions.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 暠 with 光 (guāng), using it in contexts where a more common term for light would suffice. For example, saying '我喜欢这个房间的暠' (I like the brightness of this room) sounds awkward; instead, use '光' to say '我喜欢这个房间的光'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 暠

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Etymology of 暠

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 日 represents the meaning and 高 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

sun

Semantic (meaning)
+
Phonetic (sound)
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 暠?

Decomposition of 暠

IDS Structure⿱日高
Full Character
=
Ri4
top
Gao1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 暠?

Write 暠

Practice writing stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Cultural Notes for 暠

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese poetry, the imagery of dawn or daybreak often symbolizes new beginnings and hope. The character 暠 reflects this cultural appreciation of natural phenomena as metaphors for life's transitions.

Word Family of 暠

Words Containing This Character1
gǎobright
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 暠 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 暠

No, 暠 is more commonly found in literary or poetic contexts rather than in daily speech.