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March 24, 2026
晓(曉)xiǎo(xiao3)
The character 晓 (xiǎo) primarily means dawn or daybreak, referring to the early light of day when the sun rises. It also implies the concept of knowledge or clarity, as in knowing or making something explicit. This duality makes it useful in both literal and figurative contexts.
Strokes10Radical日Frequency#16509DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of dawn is often associated with new beginnings and hope. Traditional poetry frequently uses dawn imagery to symbolize renewal and clarity, reflecting the importance of enlightenment in both personal and spiritual contexts.
Memory Tip
Imagine the sun rising at dawn, illuminating everything with clarity. The character 晓 has the sun (日) at the top and a representation of 'knowledge' (夭) below, symbolizing the idea that with the dawn comes the clarity of understanding.
Meanings of 晓
xiǎo(xiao3)
1dawn
2daybreak
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
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About 晓
晓Simplified
曉Traditional
10Strokes
日Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#16509Frequency Rank
Podcast: 晓
Podcast: 晓
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AI Study Notes for 晓
Quick Contrast
明 (míng) - use 明 when referring to brightness or clarity, while 晓 emphasizes the time of day or the concept of understanding.
Usage Notes
Common mistakes include confusing 晓 with 了 (le) or 知 (zhī), which both relate to knowing but have different nuances. This character is more formal, often used in literary contexts, and is less common in everyday speech. Be mindful of the tones; xiǎo has a third tone, and mispronouncing it can lead to confusion with other words.
HSK Study Tips
While 晓 is not currently included in the HSK syllabus, it can be connected to words associated with knowledge (知, zhī) and time (时, shí). Students should focus on recognizing its usage in written contexts and exploring phrases like '晓得' (xiǎo dé) meaning 'to know'.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 晓 with 早 (zǎo), which means 'early' or 'morning'. For example, saying '我晓早了' instead of '我早知道了' (I knew it early) mixes the meanings incorrectly.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 晓
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How Well Do You Know 晓?
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Learning Lab
Knowing 晓 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
晓 = 日 + 尧. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 晓
IDS Structure⿰日尧
晓Full Character
=
日Ri4
left
尧Yao2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 晓?
How to say dawn in Chinese
“dawn” in Chinese is晓xiǎo
The character 晓 (xiǎo) primarily means dawn or daybreak, referring to the early light of day when the sun rises. It also implies the concept of knowledge or clarity, as in knowing or making something explicit. This duality makes it useful in both literal and figurative contexts.
When to use 晓
Common mistakes include confusing 晓 with 了 (le) or 知 (zhī), which both relate to knowing but have different nuances. This character is more formal, often used in literary contexts, and is less common in everyday speech. Be mindful of the tones; xiǎo has a third tone, and mispronouncing it can lead to confusion with other words.
晓 or something close to it
明 (míng) - use 明 when referring to brightness or clarity, while 晓 emphasizes the time of day or the concept of understanding.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 晓 with 早 (zǎo), which means 'early' or 'morning'. For example, saying '我晓早了' instead of '我早知道了' (I knew it early) mixes the meanings incorrectly.
Write 晓
晓
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Grammar Patterns of 晓
晓 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 6 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
天____得他母亲原本会说什么。
Heaven only knows what his mother would have said.
Example Sentences for 晓 (10)
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1
天晓得他母亲原本会说什么。
tiān xiǎo dé tā mǔ qīn yuán běn huì shuō shí mó。
Heaven only knows what his mother would have said.
He knew that the mountains were to the west, the city to the east.
10
张晓东很推崇富兰克林的风险控制体系.
zhāng xiǎo dōng hěn tuī chóng fù lán kè lín de fēng xiǎn kòng zhì tǐ xì.
Zhang Xiaodong, a very respected Franklin's risk control system.
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Word Family of 晓
Words Containing This Character18
揭晓jiēxiǎoto publish揭曉
晓得xiǎodeto know曉得
晓xiǎodawn曉
知晓to know知曉
赫鲁晓夫Nikita Khrushchev (1894-1971), secretary-general of Soviet Communist Party 1953-1964赫魯曉夫
家喻户晓jiāyùhùxiǎoa household name家喻戶曉
天晓得Heaven knows!天曉得
破晓daybreak破曉
通晓proficient (in sth)通曉
拂晓daybreak拂曉
分晓now one understands分曉
报晓to herald the break of day報曉
晓谕to inform曉諭
晓以大义to reason with sb曉以大義
刘晓波Liu Xiaobo (1955-2017), Beijing writer and human rights activist, organizer of petition Charter 2008 零八憲章|零八宪章[LíngbāXiànzhāng], Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2010劉曉波
白晓燕Pai Hsiao-yen (daughter of Pai Ping-ping)白曉燕
晓示to tell曉示
薄晓at dawn薄曉
Exercise 1 of 4
Words with 晓
What does 揭晓 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 晓
The tone of 晓 is the third tone (xiǎo), which is pronounced with a falling-rising intonation.
While it can be used, it's more commonly found in literary contexts or formal writings than in casual conversations.
Common phrases include '晓得' (xiǎo dé) meaning 'to know' and '晓行' (xiǎo xíng) meaning 'to travel at dawn'.
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