光 guāng
“light; ray; bright; shiny; only; merely”
noun, adverb, verb, adjectiveHSK 4 · 2021 list level 3Measure word 道
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
光 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 1274: 光 guāng — Level 4; official annotation 4 (名、形、动、副). PDF page 111
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 光
光 (guāng) most commonly means “light” as a noun: natural light or the light from a lamp. It appears in combinations like 阳光 and 灯光 and in patterns such as 有光/没有光 or 光很亮/光不够; for a beam, use a classifier such as 一束光. As an adverb 光 means “only/merely” (光说不做), and as a resultative complement it means “used up/completely” (钱花光了).
例句Example sentences
- 房间里没有光，太黑了。fáng jiān lǐ méi yǒu guāng, tài hēi le.There is no light in the room; it's too dark.
- 他光说不做，大家都不相信他。tā guāng shuō bú zuò, dà jiā dōu bù xiāng xìn tā.He only talks and doesn't act, so nobody believes him.
- 我的钱都花光了。wǒ de qián dōu huā guāng le.I've spent all my money.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗请开光，我看不见。
✓请开灯，我看不见。
光 is the light itself; the thing you switch on is 灯. 开光 exists in another sense ('consecrate a religious object'), but it does not mean 'turn on a light'.
-
✗桌子上有一个光。
✓桌子上有一束光。
光 as light is not counted with 个; use 一束光 for a beam of light, or say 有一点光.