The Chinese character 光 (guāng) is composed of two parts:

• 火 (huǒ): This component represents “fire” or “flame.” It depicts a flickering flame with its two strokes symbolizing the flames and the base representing the burning material.
• 儿 (ér): This component is a variant of “人” (rén), meaning “person.” In this context, it can be interpreted as a person standing or something extending upwards.

Combined, the structure of 光 can be understood as a flame rising upwards, symbolizing light emanating from a source. This imagery is closely related to the character’s primary meaning of “light” or “brightness.”

The evolution of this character has seen some changes in the “儿” component, sometimes appearing more like “儿” (a child) or “人” (a person). However, the core meaning associated with the upward extension from the fire element remains consistent.

Therefore, the written structure of 光 provides a visual representation of its meaning, linking the concept of light with the image of a rising flame.