阳光
yángguāng
The English word "sunshine" is translated into Mandarin as 阳光 (yángguāng).
阳光 refers to the direct rays of the sun. Beyond this literal meaning, it is used metaphorically to describe a person's personality as being bright, positive or optimistic.
Meaning: direct rays of the sun (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 阳 (yáng), meaning 'sun' or 'positive/yang' and 光 (guāng), meaning 'light'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use 阳光 as an adjective to describe a person or a thing, such as saying someone has a "sunny personality," you should add the particle 的 (de) after it to form 阳光的.
How do you pronounce it?
yángguāng
Did you know?
- The character 光 can mean 'light' but also has a completely different meaning of 'bare' or 'empty', such as when a plate of food is completely finished.
- The character 阳 can also refer to the south side of a mountain, because in the northern hemisphere, the south-facing slope receives the most sunshine.
- In modern slang, the term 阳光男孩 (yángguāng nánhái) refers to a specific archetype of a 'sunny boy' who is athletic, healthy and purely optimistic.
Examples in context
- 你是我的阳光。You are my sunshine.This sentence shows how to use 阳光 to refer to a person.Tatoeba #332866 by fucongcong, translation #63216 by papabear
- 充满阳光的天和充满願望的心…A day full of sunshine and a heart full of wishes…Tatoeba #1951305 by yurusu, translation #1951269 by yurusu
- 她的微笑犹如暖暖的阳光，给人带来温暖和希望。Her smile is like warm sunshine, bringing warmth and hope to people.
- 心情不好时，出去晒晒太阳会让你觉得好多了。When you're feeling down, going outside to bask in the sunshine will make you feel much better.
- 今天的阳光很暖和。Jīntiān de yángguāng hěn nuǎnhuo.Today's sunshine is very warm.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is enjoying a walk in a park.
- 佳怡 Jiayi浩然，你看，那里的阳光真好。Hàorán, nǐ kàn, nàlǐ de yángguāng zhēn hǎo.Haoran, look, the sunshine over there is wonderful.
- 浩然 Haoran是的，在这种阳光下散步很舒服。Shì de, zài zhè zhǒng yángguāng xià sànbù hěn shūfu.Yes, it is very comfortable to stroll in this sunshine.
- 佳怡 Jiayi我也觉得很有活力。Wǒ yě juéde hěn yǒu huólì.I also feel very energetic.
- 浩然 Haoran佳怡，我们要不要坐下来休息一下？Jiāyí, wǒmen yào bu yào zuò xiàlái xiūxi yíxià?Jiayi, do you want to sit down and rest for a bit?
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
