Definitions

chén (noun) morning; dawn; daybreak

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "晨" originates from the fusion of the sun radical "日" with the component "辰", which in early usage carried connotations of astral phenomena or designated temporal intervals, thus forming a dedicated graph for the concept of morning. Its structure is typically classified as a phono-semantic compound, where "日" semantically grounds the character in solar imagery while "辰" provides phonetic guidance alongside its inherent association with cyclical time. Over the long course of linguistic development, the meaning of "晨" progressively specialized from wider temporal references to denote specifically the early hours following sunrise, a consolidation that reflects the broader precision in Chinese lexicon regarding divisions of the day.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

的空气很新鲜。

Zǎochén de kōngqì hěn xīnxiān.

The morning air is very fresh.

我听到鸟叫声。

Qīngchén wǒ tīng dào niǎojiào shēng.

I hear birds singing in the early morning.

他喜欢早去公园跑步。

Tā xǐhuan zǎochen qù gōngyuán pǎobù.

He likes to go running in the park in the morning.

我们计划在凌出发旅行。

Wǒmen jìhuà zài língchén chūfā lǚxíng.

We plan to set off on our trip in the wee hours of the morning.

光透过窗户照了进来。

Chénguāng tòuguò chuānghù zhào le jìnlái.

The morning light shone through the window.

爷爷每天坚持练半小时。

Yéye měitiān jiānchí chénliàn bàn xiǎoshí.

Grandpa insists on half an hour of morning exercise every day.

这个早因你的到来而特别。

Zhège zǎochen yīn nǐ de dàolái ér tèbié.

This morning is special because of your arrival.

雾弥漫的湖边散步令人心旷神怡。

Zài chénwù mímàn de hú biān sànbù lìng rén xīnkuàngshényí.

Taking a walk by the lake shrouded in morning mist is refreshing and delightful.