晃

• Pinyin: huǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 晃 = 日 + 光 (sun + light, originally conveying a flash of bright light; extended to swaying motion)

Meaning

To shake; to sway; to dazzle. To move back and forth, or to cause someone to be dazzled by a bright light.

Has two common pronunciations and meanings: huǎng (to dazzle, to flash) and huàng (to sway, to rock). As huǎng, it often describes bright light flashing before the eyes. As huàng, it describes a swaying or rocking motion. Context determines the meaning.

Examples

1. 强烈的闪光灯晃得他睁不开眼睛，只好侧过身去回避。 The intense flash made it impossible for him to keep his eyes open, so he turned away to avoid it.
2. 船在风浪中剧烈地晃动，乘客们纷纷抓紧扶手以保持平衡。 The boat rocked violently in the wind and waves, and passengers grabbed the handrails to keep their balance.
3. 她轻轻晃着摇篮，哼着儿歌，孩子很快就安静下来了。 She gently rocked the cradle and hummed a children’s song, and the child soon calmed down.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, physical description

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 阳光直接照射到镜子上，反射出的强光晃得路人不得不闭上眼睛。(The sunlight hit the mirror directly, and the reflected glare was so intense that passers-by had to close their eyes.)
• 地震发生时，悬挂在天花板上的灯具剧烈晃动，整个建筑都在颤抖。(When the earthquake struck, the light fixtures hanging from the ceiling swayed violently, and the entire building trembled.)

Don't Say

• 晃 (huǎng) and 晃 (huàng) interchangeably without attention to context — the dazzle meaning and the sway meaning are distinct; select the appropriate usage based on the situation

Origin & History

晃 = 日 + 光 (sun + light) — the original sense is flashing or dazzling light; extended to a swaying motion

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal