Definitions
(noun)
noon; midday
Etymology
Pictograph of a pestle used for pounding rice, now written as 杵. The current meaning "noon" is a phonetic loan.
About
The character 午 originally depicted a pestle used in agricultural processing. Its meaning shifted to represent the concept of noon, likely due to its association with the sun's peak and a break in daily labor. In the earthly branch system, it serves as the seventh branch, corresponding to the horse and the two-hour period around midday. The modern form is a streamlined, indivisible character derived from that earlier pictorial representation. Today, its core meaning is "noon", and it is integral to constructing time-related terms such as 上午 and 下午.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
现在是中午十二点。
上午我要去开会。
我们下午三点见面吧。
今天的午餐很好吃。
他在午睡，别吵醒他。
正午的太阳非常强烈。
我们在船上享用午宴。
一个暖和的午后，我们出去散步了。