早 zǎo — early; morning
早上好，今天天气不错。Zǎo shang hǎo, jīn tiān tiān qì bú cuò.Good morning; the weather is nice today.
Common words: 早上 (zǎo shang)、早饭 (zǎo fàn)、早就 (zǎo jiù)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "morning"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "morning", including 早 (zǎo), 旦 (dàn), 晨 (chén). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "morning" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 早 (zǎo), 旦 (dàn), 晨 (chén) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span zǎo, dàn, chén — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 早 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 早 zǎoearly; morningUseful words: 早上, 早饭
- 旦 dàndawn; morning; day-break; dayUseful words: 一旦, 正旦
- 晨 chénmorning; dawn; daybreakUseful words: 早晨, 清晨
Common words for these 3 "morning" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 早 (zǎo) — so "morning" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
早上zǎo shangearly morning早饭zǎo fànbreakfast早就zǎo jiùalready at an earlier time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早晨zǎo chénearly morning清晨qīng chénearly morning凌晨líng chénvery early in the morning; in the wee hours
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 3 ways to say "morning".
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)
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 3 characters
Open 早、旦、晨 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.