Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
光 (ひかり, hikari) Japanese meaning: light | Kotomora
じ 字 Furigana
Meanings Jump to a sense… 1. light 2. illumination; ray; beam; glow 3. hope; happiness; bright prospect 4. influence; power; prestige 5. vision; eyesight 6. optical fiber; fiber-optic internet Report an issue with this page
Plants do not grow without light.
The speed of light is much faster than the speed of sound.
Usage patterns 光ひかり が 差さ す for light to shine in or stream through
Morning light streamed in through the window.
光ひかり が 当あ たる to be lit up by light; (figuratively) to be put in the spotlight
His achievements finally got the recognition they deserved.
光ひかり を 失うしな う to lose one's eyesight
He lost the sight in his right eye in the accident.
光ひかり を 浴あ びる to be bathed in light
I basked in the sunlight at the beach.
光ひかり を 発はっ する to emit light
The stone gave off light in the darkness.
Related words· 7 明かり refers to light used for illumination, like a lamp or room light, while 光 covers the broader physical phenomenon of light or a beam/glow.
光線 is a more technical or scientific term for a ray or beam of light, whereas 光 is the everyday, general word for light.
光 is the general, neutral word for 'light', while 輝き specifically highlights the quality of shining brightly or brilliantly.
閃光 refers to a sudden, brief burst of light, while 光 is the general word for light itself without implying suddenness.
Show 3 more 光 is a broad term covering any light or ray (sunlight, starlight, etc.), whereas 灯火 emphasizes a man-made flame or lamp as the source.
光 is the plain, common word for physical light, whereas 光明 is a literary term that often adds a nuance of hope or spiritual radiance.
光 is the everyday word for visible light, which is just one narrow band within the full range of 電磁波.
Opposites 闇 means darkness, the direct opposite of 光 as the physical phenomenon of light.
光 is light, the direct opposite of 暗闇, which is darkness.
光 is light, the direct opposite of 影 which is the shadow cast when light is blocked.
Counted with muscle; tendon; sinew · vein; artery · fiber; string · line; stripe; streak · reason; logic · plot; storyline · lineage; descent · school (of thought or art) · aptitude; talent · source (of information); channel · well-informed person (in a deal) · logical move (in go, shogi) · ninth vertical line (shogi) · seam on a helmet · gristly fish paste · social position; status · along (a river, road, etc.) · counter for long thin things; counter for roads/blocks · street (in Osaka) · counter for hundreds of mon (Edo period)
Word family· 53 optical fiber
optical communication; light-wave communication
optical cable; optical fibre
optical disc; optical disk
Written forms 光ひかり Usage 95%
Standard and very common kanji spelling for ひかり, covering physical light, figurative uses, and the optical-fiber abbreviation.
ひかり Usage 5%
ヒカリ Usage 1%
Etymology A native Japanese noun related to the verb 光る, 'to shine.' The kanji 光 is the standard spelling conventionally associated with light and brightness; no detailed historical derivation is supplied.
七なな 光ひかり
benefiting from the influence of a master or parent; reflected glory
Show 11 more lightning; flash of lightning
conversion to fiber optics; fiber-optic upgrade
bright card; light card; 20-point card
optical vortex
Ochromonas vischeri (golden alga)
luminous moss
optical input
optical output; light output
optical line; fiber optic line; optical network
photosensitization
photonics; optical engineering