照zhào

照 (zhào, "to shine, reflect") is the Simplified Chinese form of 照, combining the fire radical 灬 with the phonetic 昭 to show light emanating from flame. The traditional character depicted a hand (爫) holding a fire near a mirror (囗 with 尺), capturing the act of illumination and reflection in one compact image. Today 照 serves as a versatile verb: 照亮 (illuminate), 拍照 (take a photo), 照顾 (look after), and 依照 (according to) — all descendants of that original sense of light revealing truth.