輝 — “Radiance / Shine / Sparkle / Gleam” in Japanese

Master (高手)き, かがや

Radical ⾞ · radical 159 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Radiance / Shine / Sparkle / Gleam” in Japanese is 輝, read ki, kagaya (き, かがや). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 輝く (to shine).

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What does 輝 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	輝
Meaning	Radiance / Shine / Sparkle / Gleam
Readings	き, かがや
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	輝く (to shine)

How to read 輝

輝 is read ki (き) or kagaya (かがや) depending on the word.

Words with 輝

輝く

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Updated: 2026-08-28