光る
ひかる · hikaru · JLPT N4 · verb-godan
to shine
✨💡 光 = light + る verb ending: to do light, i.e. to shine
光 alone is the noun hikari (light). Swap the final り for る and the noun becomes the verb hikaru, to shine. Same kanji, same hika- stem, so learning one gives you the other.
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).