光 — “light” in Japanese

Grade 2こう, ひか, ひ

Radical ⼉ · radical 10 The building block this kanji is filed under

“light” in Japanese is 光, read kou, hika, hi (こう, ひか, ひ). It is a Grade 2 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 2 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 光線 (ray of light).

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What does 光 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	光
Meaning	light
Readings	こう, ひか, ひ
Grade	Grade 2 (Easy)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	光線 (ray of light)

How to read 光

光 is read kou (こう) or hika (ひか) or hi (ひ) depending on the word.

Words with 光

観光かんこう
日光にっこう
観光客かんこうきゃく
光線

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Kanji read the same way as 光

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

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Updated: 2026-08-28