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烁 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
烁shuòbrightzg, 9 strokes, radical 火, rank #20240, Hard
烁shuòluminouszg, 9 strokes, radical 火, rank #20240, Hard
烁shuòto sparkle, to shine, to glitterzg, 9 strokes, radical 火, rank #20240, Hard
shuò(shuo4) T4
  1. 1bright
  2. 2luminous
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
烁(爍)shuò(shuo4)

The character 烁 (shuò) refers to something that is bright, luminous, or sparkling. It is commonly used to describe light, radiance, or objects that shine, like stars or gemstones. Its usage often conveys a sense of brilliance or clarity in various contexts.

Strokes9Radical火Frequency#20240DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, brightness often symbolizes positivity and good fortune. The concept of brightness and sparkle is frequently associated with auspicious events or celebrations, such as the New Year, where lights and decorations are common.

Memory Tip

Imagine a shimmering star (烁) in the night sky. The radical 火 (fire) suggests brightness and warmth, while the top part resembles a twinkling star. Remembering the connection between stars and their sparkling light can help you recall the meaning and pronunciation of 烁 (shuò).

Meanings of 烁

shuò(shuo4)
1bright
2luminous
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 烁

烁Simplified
爍Traditional
9Strokes
火Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#20240Frequency Rank

Podcast: 烁

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Podcast: 烁

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AI Study Notes for 烁

Quick Contrast

闪 (shǎn) - use 烁 for a steady brightness or radiance, while 闪 emphasizes a quick flash or sparkle.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a shimmering star (烁) in the night sky. The radical 火 (fire) suggests brightness and warmth, while the top part resembles a twinkling star. Remembering the connection between stars and their sparkling light can help you recall the meaning and pronunciation of 烁 (shuò).

Usage Notes

烁 is generally used in written Chinese rather than spoken conversation, making it more formal. Be cautious with tone as it is a fourth tone (shuò), which can be confused with other tones. Common collocations include 烁烁 (shimmering) and 光烁 (luminous).

HSK Study Tips

Although 烁 is not in the HSK vocabulary lists, it can be connected to words related to brightness and light found in HSK levels 3 and 4, such as 明 (míng) meaning bright. Focus on recognizing the character's components and their meanings as you expand your vocabulary.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, brightness often symbolizes positivity and good fortune. The concept of brightness and sparkle is frequently associated with auspicious events or celebrations, such as the New Year, where lights and decorations are common.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 烁 with 明 (míng) due to their similar meanings related to brightness. For example, saying '星星很明' (xīng xīng hěn míng) to describe stars is common, but using '星星很烁' (xīng xīng hěn shuò) emphasizes their sparkling nature more accurately.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 烁

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Etymology of 烁

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory Hint

The happy 乐 light of a flame 火

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 烁?

Decomposition of 烁

IDS Structure⿰火乐
烁Full Character
=
火Huo3
left
乐Le4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 烁?

Write 烁

烁

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 烁

烁 carries 3 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

“我要走，离开他。”劳拉·斯特宾停了下来，眼里闪____着光芒。

"I shall go, leave him." Laura Stebbing stopped, her eyes glistening.

Example Sentences for 烁 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
“我要走，离开他。”劳拉·斯特宾停了下来，眼里闪烁着光芒。

“ “ wǒ yào， zǒu ， lí。” kāi tā· 。” láo lā · sī tè bīn， tíng le xià lái ， yǎn lǐ。

"I shall go, leave him." Laura Stebbing stopped, her eyes glistening.
2
透过船舱的窗户我看到了闪烁的火光。

tòu guò chuán cāng de chuāng hù wǒ kàn dào le shǎn shuò de huǒ guāng。

Looking through the cabin window I saw the flicker of flames.
3
他们为什么不能不再闪烁其词，说出他们真正的意图呢？

tā mén wéi shí mó bù néng bù zài shǎn shuò qí cí， ， shuō chū tā mén zhēn zhèng de yì tú？

Why don't they stop pussyfooting around and say what they really mean?
4
小湾对岸,沿着河边,东卵豪华住宅区的洁白的宫殿式的大厦闪烁着光彩.

xiǎo wān duì àn, , yán zháo hé, biān , dōng luǎn háo huá zhù zhái qū de jié bái de gōng diàn shì de dà shà shǎn shuò zháo.

Across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water.
5
雷声震得轰轰隆隆, 沿着河向东推进,灰白色的电光在他眼中闪烁着.

léi shēng zhèn dé hōng hōng lóng lóng, , yán zháo hé xiàng dōng tuī, jìn , huī bái sè de diàn guāng zài tā yǎn zhōng shǎn.

The thunder rumbled and crashed , travelling east along the river, the paling flashes flicked his eyes.
6
沉没的帆船在海底闪烁着白光。

chén méi de fān chuán zài hǎi dǐ shǎn shuò zháo bái guāng。

The sunken sailing-boat was a glimmer of white on the bottom.
7
闪烁着喜悦光芒的黑眼睛注视着他们。

shǎn shuò zháo xǐ yuè guāng máng de hēi yǎn jīng zhù shì zháo tā mén。

Merry black eyes glinted at them.
8
天空一片深蓝色，其间星光闪烁。

tiān kōng yī piàn shēn lán sè， ， qí jiān xīng guāng shǎn。

The sky was deep blue and starry.
9
她看见他手上的银镯子在阳光下闪烁.

tā kàn jiàn tā shǒu shàng de yín zhuó zǐ zài yáng guāng xià shǎn shuò.

She could see the sun flashing off his silver bracelet.
10
蓝色羽毛闪烁的鸟

lán sè yǔ máo shǎn shuò de niǎo

a bird with iridescent blue feathers

Cultural Notes for 烁

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, brightness often symbolizes positivity and good fortune. The concept of brightness and sparkle is frequently associated with auspicious events or celebrations, such as the New Year, where lights and decorations are common.

Word Family of 烁

Words Containing This Character5
闪烁shǎnshuòflickering閃爍
烁shuòbright爍
闪烁其词to speak evasively (idiom); beating about the bush閃爍其詞
震古烁今glorious and world-shattering震古爍今
闪烁体scintillator閃爍體
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 闪烁 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 烁

It is pronounced as shuò, with a falling tone.