a semantically light, transitive verb that is combined with various grammatical objects to form compound verbs and verb-object phrases with a diverse range of meanings (e.g. 打傘｜打伞 "to hold an umbrella", 打電話｜打电话 "to make a phone call", 打針｜打针 "to get an injection", 打手套 "to knit gloves", 打氣｜打气 "to inflate") / to hit; to strike / to fight / (coll.) from; since (as in 打那以後｜打那以后 "since then")

bright; light / to shine; to flash / loud and clear / to show (one's passport etc); to make public (one's views etc)

light / radiance / (fig.) bright (prospects etc) / openhearted

to close (a door) / to turn off (light, electrical equipment etc)

light; ray (CL:道) / bright; shiny / only; merely / used up; finished / to leave (a part of the body) uncovered

light ray / CL: 條｜条, 道 / light / illumination / lighting (for a photograph)

to allow / to grant / in accordance with / in the light of

according to; in light of

to bind / bunch / bundle / classifier for bunches, bundles, beams of light etc / to control

electric light / CL: 盞｜盏

to touch briefly; to tap / to mark with a dot; to check off (on a list) / to order (food etc); to select / to mention; to bring up (a topic or person) / to hint at; to imply / to administer (eye medicine etc) in drops / to light (a fire, a lamp etc); to ignite / to nod (one's head) in agreement; to beckon by moving (one's hand) up and down / point; dot; spot; speck / dot stroke in Chinese characters / (math.) decimal point / point in time or space / (after a number) o'clock / a small amount; a bit; (after a verb or adjective) a bit more / classifier for small amounts

to press / to push / to leave aside or shelve / to control / to restrain / to keep one's hand on / to check or refer to / according to / in the light of / (of an editor or author) to make a comment

(stage) lighting / light

light / easy / gentle / soft / reckless / unimportant / frivolous / small in number / unstressed / neutral / to disparage

lamp / light / lantern / CL: 盞｜盏

(of trains etc) late / delayed / behind schedule / light dinner

light / gentle / relaxed / effortless / uncomplicated / to relax / to take things less seriously

shallow / light (color)

to emit light; to shine; to glow; to glisten; to be luminous

thin / cold in manner / indifferent / weak / light / infertile

at dawn / at first light / first thing in the morning

light bulb / see also 電燈泡｜电灯泡 / third-wheel or unwanted third party spoiling a couple's date (slang) / CL: 個｜个

afternoon tea (light afternoon meal, typically pastries with tea or coffee)

to depend on / to comply with or listen to sb / according to / in the light of

(of a plot etc) to be exposed (idiom) / to come to light

(loanword) ether (hypothetical medium that transmits light waves)

light refreshments / pastry / dim sum (in Cantonese cooking) / dessert

only the official is allowed to light the fire / Gods may do what cattle may not / quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi

ring of light; halo; (fig.) glory; splendor

light muslin / gauze

signal light / car indicator

to reflect light

(of facts or truth) to become fully revealed; to come to light / (old) wine cup / (coll.) whiting (used in whitewash) / (coll.) (neologism c. 2020) healthcare worker in a full-body protective suit (from the white robot Baymax in Disney's "Big Hero 6", called "大白" in Chinese)

lighting / illumination / to light up / to illuminate

street lamp / street light

to dissipate everywhere (of light, sound, gas etc)

fluorescence; fluorescent light

a blacklight; an ultraviolet light

light petroleum (product) / gasoline and diesel oil

to reflect (light) / to shine / to project (an image onto a screen etc)

to throw (a projectile) / to cast (light)

to grow light (at daybreak)

green light (traffic signal) / (fig.) permission to proceed

(of a rumor etc) to collapse (in the light of facts etc) / to be discredited

traffic light

rays of light / brilliant rays / radiance

the full light of day (idiom) / fig. peace and prosperity / in broad daylight

light and shadow / sunlight and shade

Amitabha, Buddha of infinite light

brake light

an extra strong type of Sichuan pepper, dark green when ripe but light brown after air drying

the first light of dawn / (fig.) glimmer of hope after a dark period; a new beginning

light pollution

one able to do light manual labor only / semi-able-bodied or part time (farm) worker

incandescent light

light source

drizzle; light rain / (fig.) mere trifle; sth that has only a weak effect

eye-opening ceremony for a religious idol (Buddhism) / to consecrate / to bless / transparent / translucent / haircut / shaving the head or face (humorous) / a method of decoration / first light (astronomy)

light-year

to burn / to ignite / to light / fig. to spark off (hopes) / to start (debate) / to raise (hopes)

light therapy / phototherapy

light radiation

slight / light / trivial / to a small extent

to expose / to bring to light / to disclose / revelation

red light

to illuminate / to light up / lighting

traffic light / traffic signal

(coll.) leading light / superstar / badass / (coll.) higher-priced model of Lamborghini

lit. as the water recedes, the rocks appear (idiom) / fig. the truth comes to light

top scorer in the palace examination (highest rank of the Imperial examination system) / see 榜眼 and 探花 / top scorer in college entrance examination 高考 / (fig.) the most brilliantly talented person in the field / leading light

the speed of light

light silk / silk chiffon

light / beam of light / gleam of light / light reflected from an object

small truck; light truck

polarization of light / polarized light

to smear / to wipe / to erase / classifier for wisps of cloud, light-beams etc

to ignite / to light / fig. to spark off (hopes, controversy, flames of revolution)

to ignite / to light a fire / to agitate / to start an engine / ignition / fig. to stir up trouble

light and airy / floating

to bask in the light / fig. to benefit from association with sb or sth / reflected glory

to install / to fit (e.g. a light bulb)

wall lamp / bracket light / CL: 盞｜盏

(physics) light cone

Diet Coke / Coca-Cola Light

lit. the willow trees make the shade, the flowers give the light (idiom); at one's darkest hour, a glimmer of hope / light at the end of the tunnel

light beam

light-emitting diode / LED

to light / to set off (firecrackers etc)

light cavalry / light motorcycle / moped

a fluorescent light; a fluorescent lamp

light energy (e.g. solar)

many hands make light work (idiom)

to shake out / to bring to light / to squander

light color

visible light / light in optical spectrum

popular fiction / light literature

(idiom) to suddenly realize; to suddenly see the light

to make light contact with the edge of sth / (fig.) to be nearly (a certain age); to be close to (danger) / (fig.) to be marginal (in terms of relevance or legality)

electric light / lightning / electro-optical

(lit.) to flash the yellow light / (fig.) to give a warning sign