光
gwong¹
The English word 'light' is 光 (gwong¹) in Cantonese.
光 is used to refer to light in a literal sense, such as natural light or light sources. If you want to describe something that is glowing, you can use 發光 or if you want to describe something as being bright, use 亮. While 光 refers to the phenomenon of light itself, the word 燈 is used to refer to the physical object or lamp that produces it.
Meaning: visible light, brightness (noun)
Which one should you use?
To avoid confusion with the noun 'light', use 輕 when referring to something that is of low weight. Additionally, distinguish between the phenomenon and the object: use 光 for the light itself and 燈 for a lamp or light fixture.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
gwong¹
What mistakes should you avoid?
When you want to say you are turning on the light in a room, do not say you are 'opening light' (光). Instead, use the phrase 開燈, which literally means to 'open the lamp'.
Did you know?
- In Cantonese, the word 光 can also mean 'empty' or 'gone'. If someone tells you the food is 光了, they are not talking about light but saying the plate is clean.
- The word 光 is used in the term 光陰, which means 'time'. This stems from the ancient poetic idea of light and shadow shifting as time passes.
- In Cantonese, describing a surface as 光 can mean it is 'smooth' or 'polished'. This refers to the way a smooth surface reflects light.
Examples in context
- 光線會吸引昆蟲。Light attracts bugs.This sentence shows how 光 can be used to describe light attracting insects.Tatoeba #5738678 by nickyeow, translation #5269920 by Lindoula
- 光速快過音速好多。The speed of light is much greater than that of sound.This sentence uses 光 to discuss the speed of light.Tatoeba #503193 by nickyeow, translation #240383 by Eldad
- 無論黑暗有幾遼闊，我哋都要提供自己嘅光。However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light.This sentence uses 光 in a metaphorical context regarding providing one's own light.Tatoeba #4581043 by kaenif, translation #4581040 by kaenif
- 房間好光The room is well-lit.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A photography student and a teacher are discussing lighting equipment.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting呢種光好柔和。ni1 zung2 gwong1 hou2 jyu4 wo4.This kind of light is very soft.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit係呀，影相好靚。hai6 aa3, jing2 soeng2 hou2 leng3.Yes, it makes for beautiful photos.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting你可以加強啲光。nei5 ho2 ji5 gaa1 zoeng1 di1 gwong1.You can increase the light a bit.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit好，我試吓。hou2, ngo5 si3 haa5.Okay, I will try it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “light” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
