How to Write 昭 (zhāo) — Meaning “Clear / Bright”

Imagine the sun (日) is so bright that it summons (召) all shadows away, making everything clear. This helps you link the shape to the meaning 'clear and bright'.

Write the left radical 日 in 4 strokes, keeping it narrow and balanced. The right part 召 starts with 刀 (2 strokes) then 口 (3 strokes), and the whole character should be even in height. A common mistake is making 日 too wide, which ruins the proportion.

昭 has 日 on the left and 召 (with 刀 and 口) on the right, meaning 'bright'. 旰 has 日 on the left and 干 (dry) on the right, meaning 'late in the day'. 旱 has 日 on top and 干 below, meaning 'drought'. The key difference is the right or bottom component: 召 vs 干.

昭 appears in formal or literary words such as 昭示 (to manifest), 昭雪 (to clear one's name), and 昭告 (to declare). It is not common in everyday speech but is often seen in news, legal documents, or historical contexts. For example, 昭雪 is used when someone's reputation is restored after being wrongly accused.

Common words containing 昭 include: 昭示 (zhāo shì) — To manifest; 昭雪 (zhāo xuě) — To clear one's name; 昭告 (zhāo gào) — To declare.