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荧 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
荧yíngto shine, to shimmer; shining, dazzlingn, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #32874, Very Hard
荧yínga glimmerunknown, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #32874, Very Hard
荧yíngglimmeringunknown, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #32874, Very Hard
荧yíngtwinklingunknown, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #32874, Very Hard
荧yíngfluorescenceunknown, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #32874, Very Hard
荧yíngphosphorescenceunknown, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #32874, Very Hard
荧yíngperplexedunknown, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #32874, Very Hard
荧yíngdazzled and confusedunknown, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #32874, Very Hard
荧yíngplanet Mars (arch.)unknown, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #32874, Very Hard
yíng(ying2) T2
  1. 1to shine, to shimmer; shining, dazzling
  2. 2a glimmer
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

荧(熒)yíng(ying2)

The character 荧 (yíng) refers to something that shines or shimmers, often used to describe light phenomena like fluorescence or twinkling. It can also convey a sense of being dazzled or perplexed, often associated with a bright, captivating light that can confuse the observer.

Strokes9Radical艹Frequency#32874DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of light and shimmering is often associated with beauty and mystery, frequently appearing in poetry and literature to evoke emotions and imagery. The term 荧 is also linked to the natural world, such as the bioluminescence seen in certain plants and animals.

Memory Tip

Imagine a glowing firefly (荧火虫) that flickers in the dark night. The character 荧 has the radical for grass (艹) at the top, suggesting something that grows in nature, while the bottom part (盈) relates to fullness or overflowing light, making it shine and shimmer.

Meanings of 荧

yíng(ying2)
1to shine, to shimmer; shining, dazzling
2a glimmer
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 荧

荧Simplified
熒Traditional
9Strokes
艹Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 荧

JasonAmy

Podcast: 荧

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 荧

Quick Contrast

荧 (yíng) vs 光 (guāng) — use 荧 specifically for shimmering or fluorescent light, while 光 refers generally to light.

Usage Notes

荧 is primarily used in more formal contexts, especially in scientific discussions about light phenomena. Be cautious not to confuse it with similar words that denote brightness but lack the shimmering quality, such as 明 (míng). Remember that the tone is important; 荧 is pronounced with a rising tone (yíng).

HSK Study Tips

Although 荧 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it relates to other words concerning light and brightness, such as 明 (míng) and 光 (guāng). Students at a similar level should focus on differentiating between various terms for light and their specific contexts.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 荧 with similar characters like 明 (míng), which means bright, but lacks the shimmering quality. A common mistake is using 荧 to describe a steady light, whereas it specifically conveys a flickering or shimmering quality.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 荧

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Etymology of 荧

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

Simplified form of 熒. Pictograph of an intersection of two torches.

Memory Hint

fire

Semantic (meaning)火
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 荧

Simplified form of 熒. Pictograph of an intersection of two torches.

  1. 1The meaning half火 carries the sense.
  2. 2The giveawayfire
  3. 3On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 荧? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 荧?

Decomposition of 荧

IDS Structure⿱艹⿱冖火
荧Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
冖mi4
top
火Huo3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 3

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 荧?

How to say to shine, to shimmer; shining, dazzling in Chinese

“to shine, to shimmer; shining, dazzling” in Chinese is荧yíng

The character 荧 (yíng) refers to something that shines or shimmers, often used to describe light phenomena like fluorescence or twinkling. It can also convey a sense of being dazzled or perplexed, often associated with a bright, captivating light that can confuse the observer.

When to use 荧

荧 is primarily used in more formal contexts, especially in scientific discussions about light phenomena. Be cautious not to confuse it with similar words that denote brightness but lack the shimmering quality, such as 明 (míng). Remember that the tone is important; 荧 is pronounced with a rising tone (yíng).

荧 or something close to it

荧 (yíng) vs 光 (guāng) — use 荧 specifically for shimmering or fluorescent light, while 光 refers generally to light.

What learners get wrong

Learners may confuse 荧 with similar characters like 明 (míng), which means bright, but lacks the shimmering quality. A common mistake is using 荧 to describe a steady light, whereas it specifically conveys a flickering or shimmering quality.

Write 荧

荧

Practice writing 荧 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 荧

荧 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 9 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 1

Complete the Sentence

____光灯闪了几下,接着屋子里豁然大亮,刺得人睁不开眼。

Fluorescent lights flickered, and then the room was brilliantly, blindingly bright.

Example Sentences for 荧 (1)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
荧光灯闪了几下,接着屋子里豁然大亮,刺得人睁不开眼。

yíng guāng dēng shǎn le jī xià, , jiē zháo wū zǐ lǐ huō rán dà, liàng , cì dé rén zhēng bù。

Fluorescent lights flickered, and then the room was brilliantly, blindingly bright.

Word Family of 荧

Words Containing This Character9
荧光yíngguāngfluorescence熒光
荧屏TV screen熒屏
荧幕TV screen熒幕
荧光灯neon lamp熒光燈
荧yínga glimmer熒
荧光屏TV screen熒光屏
荧荧a glimmer熒熒
荧惑to bewilder熒惑
荧光幕screen (of a TV, computer etc) (Tw)熒光幕
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 荧光 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 荧

荧 is often used in contexts related to light, such as describing fluorescent or shimmering objects.

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