不光
bù guāng · HSK 3
not only
不 (not) + 光 (only/merely) = not merely; not the only
光 here means 'solely/merely' (as in 光是 'just only'), not its usual 'light' sense. So 不光 literally negates 'merely' → 'not just, not only'. Often paired with 还 or 也 for 'not only... but also'.
不 — single pictograph; bird flying upward
Originally a pictograph in oracle bone script, traditionally interpreted as a bird flying up toward the sky and unable to come down, suggesting negation or refusal. Over time it became the standard negation word in Chinese, used before verbs and adjectives to mean 'not'.
光 — fire 火 (top) + person 儿 (bottom)
Originally a pictograph of a person with fire above their head, depicting a torchbearer or the radiance from a flame. The character evolved to mean 'light' or 'brightness' in general, and by extension 'glory' and 'to shine.' The modern top component is a stylized form of 火 (fire).