旦 dàn — dawn; morning; day-break; day
元旦是新一年的第一天。Yuán dàn shì xīn yì nián de dì yī tiān.New Year Day is the first day of the new year.
Common words: 一旦 (yī dàn)、正旦 (zhèng dàn)、文旦 (wén dàn)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "dawn"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "dawn", including 旦 (dàn), 晓 (xiǎo), 晓 (xiǎo), 晨 (chén). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "dawn" covers 4 different Chinese characters — 旦 (dàn), 晓 (xiǎo), 晓 (xiǎo), 晨 (chén) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 4 characters do not share a sound — their readings span dàn, xiǎo, chén — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 旦 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 旦 dàndawn; morning; day-break; dayUseful words: 一旦, 正旦
- 晓 xiǎodawn; to know; to tell (sb sth); dawnUseful words: 晓得, 家喻户晓
- 晓 xiǎodawn; to know; to tell (sb sth); dawnUseful words: 晓得, 家喻户晓
- 晨 chénmorning; dawn; daybreakUseful words: 早晨, 清晨
Common words for these 4 "dawn" characters
Anchor each of these 4 characters in a word you can picture — start with 旦 (dàn) — so "dawn" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
一旦yī dànin case (sth happens); if; once (sth happens, then...); when正旦zhèng dànstarring female role in a Chinese opera文旦wén dànpomelo晓得xiǎo deto know家喻户晓jiā yù hù xiǎounderstood by everyone (idiom); well known; a household name揭晓jiē xiǎoto announce publicly; to publish; to make known; to disclose晓得xiǎo deto know家喻户晓jiā yù hù xiǎounderstood by everyone (idiom); well known; a household name揭晓jiē xiǎoto announce publicly; to publish; to make known; to disclose早晨zǎo chénearly morning
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 4 ways to say "dawn".
晓 xiǎo — dawn; to know; to tell (sb sth); dawn
这个道理大家都晓得。Zhè ge dào lǐ dà jiā dōu xiǎo de.Everyone knows this principle.
Common words: 晓得 (xiǎo de)、家喻户晓 (jiā yù hù xiǎo)、揭晓 (jiē xiǎo)
晓 xiǎo — dawn; to know; to tell (sb sth); dawn
这个道理大家都晓得。Zhè ge dào lǐ dà jiā dōu xiǎo de.Everyone knows this principle.
Common words: 晓得 (xiǎo de)、家喻户晓 (jiā yù hù xiǎo)、揭晓 (jiē xiǎo)
晨 chén — morning; dawn; daybreak
清晨的空气特别新鲜。Qīng chén de kōng qì tè bié xīn xiān.The early morning air is especially fresh.
Common words: 早晨 (zǎo chén)、清晨 (qīng chén)、凌晨 (líng chén)
All 4 characters
Open 旦、晓、晓 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.