Skip to content
Kotomora

耀

shine, sparkle, gleam, twinkle

JLPTN1StatusJinmeiyōFrequencyTop 5,000Strokes20

Readings

On'yomi

  • ヨウ

Kun'yomi

  • かがや.く
  • ひかり

Nanori

  • あかる

Meaning

耀 centers on emitting bright, lively light: shining, sparkling, gleaming, or twinkling. All the given meanings are variations of this same visual brightness.

Most common words using 耀

  • 光耀こうよう

    shining; glittering

  • 宣耀殿せんようでん

    ladies' pavilion (of the inner Heian Palace)

  • 栄耀えいよう

    luxury; splendour; splendor; prosperity

  • 栄耀栄華えいようえいが

    wealth, prosperity, and arrogant splendor (splendour); (living sumptuously) intoxicated by wealth and power; luxury

  • 耀うかがよう

    to shimmer; to sparkle

  • 衒耀げんよう

    false glitter

Explore all words using 耀 →

Study

Etymology

耀 combines 光 (light) with 翟, which likely contributes the sound and originally referred to a type of pheasant with bright plumage, reinforcing the idea of shining or sparkling.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side 光 means light, and the right side 翟 looks like a bird with bright feathers. Imagine a bird whose plumage sparkles and gleams in the sunlight: 耀 is to shine and twinkle.

Reading mnemonic

For ヨウ, picture a yo-yo spinning so fast it sparkles and gleams: yo-yo -> ヨウ, and the spinning light shines brightly.