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昉 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
昉fǎngdawn, daybreak; to appearzg, 8 strokes, radical 日
昉fǎngto beginunknown, 8 strokes, radical 日
fǎng(fang3) T3
  1. 1dawn, daybreak; to appear
  2. 2to begin
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

昉fǎng(fang3)

The character 昉 (fǎng) refers to the moment of dawn or daybreak when light first appears in the sky. It can also imply the beginning of something, symbolizing new beginnings and the arrival of light after darkness. This character is less commonly used in everyday language but can still be found in literary contexts.

Strokes8Radical日
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, dawn symbolizes hope and new beginnings, often associated with important events such as the Spring Festival, where families greet the new year at dawn. The concept of daybreak is also linked to traditional poetry that celebrates nature and renewal.

Memory Tip

Imagine a bright sun (the radical 日) rising over the horizon at dawn, illuminating the sky. The character 昉 looks like a sun rising (日) with something new (the component 亘) appearing, which can help you remember its meaning of daybreak and beginning.

Meanings of 昉

fǎng(fang3)
1dawn, daybreak; to appear
2to begin
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 昉

昉Simplified
8Strokes
日Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 昉

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Podcast: 昉

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AI Study Notes for 昉

Usage Notes

This character is quite formal and is typically found in literary or poetic contexts rather than everyday conversation. A common mistake is to confuse it with more frequently used words for 'dawn' like 黎明 (límíng) or 曙光 (shǔguāng). Be mindful of its specific usage to avoid sounding overly formal in casual settings.

HSK Study Tips

As 昉 is not included in the HSK levels, learners should focus on the characters commonly used for similar meanings, such as 早 (zǎo) for 'morning' or 明 (míng) for 'bright'. Familiarizing oneself with these related characters can aid in understanding how 昉 fits into the broader language.

Common Mistakes

Learners might confuse 昉 with similar-sounding characters and use it incorrectly in casual speech. For example, saying 昉 when they mean 早 (zǎo) could sound overly formal and awkward.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 昉

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Etymology of 昉

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

sun

Semantic (meaning)日
+
Phonetic (sound)方
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 昉

  1. 1The meaning half日 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half方 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaysun
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 昉? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 昉?

Decomposition of 昉

IDS Structure⿰日方
昉Full Character
=
日Ri4
left
方Fang1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 昉?

How to say dawn, daybreak; to appear in Chinese

“dawn, daybreak; to appear” in Chinese is昉fǎng

The character 昉 (fǎng) refers to the moment of dawn or daybreak when light first appears in the sky. It can also imply the beginning of something, symbolizing new beginnings and the arrival of light after darkness. This character is less commonly used in everyday language but can still be found in literary contexts.

When to use 昉

This character is quite formal and is typically found in literary or poetic contexts rather than everyday conversation. A common mistake is to confuse it with more frequently used words for 'dawn' like 黎明 (límíng) or 曙光 (shǔguāng). Be mindful of its specific usage to avoid sounding overly formal in casual settings.

What learners get wrong

Learners might confuse 昉 with similar-sounding characters and use it incorrectly in casual speech. For example, saying 昉 when they mean 早 (zǎo) could sound overly formal and awkward.

Write 昉

昉

Practice writing 昉 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 昉

Words Containing This Character1
昉fǎngdawn
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 昉 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 昉

No, 昉 is more commonly found in literary texts and is not typically used in everyday conversations.

Jason Recommends

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