The character 照 — “illuminate”: how to write it and what it means
illuminate; photograph
The Chinese character 照 is read zhào and means “illuminate; photograph”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 照
照 has 13 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 照, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 照 is made of
At the bottom, 灬 “fire”; top left, 日 “sun”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 照
- 照顾take care ofHSK 3
- 护照passportHSK 3
- 照片photoHSK 3
- 拍照take photosHSK 3
- 照相have a photo taken, take photosHSK 3
- 按照according toHSK 4
- 驾照driver's licenseHSK 5
- 照明illuminate; lightingHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 照?
照 has 13 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 照 mean?
照 means “illuminate; photograph”. It appears in 照顾 (“take care of”), 护照 (“passport”), 照片 (“photo”), 拍照 (“take photos”).
How do you pronounce 照?
照 is read zhào. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 照 have?
13 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 照 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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