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晨 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
晨chénmorningzg, 11 strokes, radical 日, rank #12076, Hard
晨chéndawnzg, 11 strokes, radical 日, rank #12076, Hard
晨chéndaybreakzg, 11 strokes, radical 日, rank #12076, Hard
晨chéndawn, early morningzg, 11 strokes, radical 日, rank #12076, Hard
chén(chen2) T2
  1. 1morning
  2. 2dawn
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
晨chén(chen2)

晨 (chén) refers to the early part of the day, specifically morning or dawn. It is commonly used to describe the time when the sun rises and the day begins, often associated with freshness and new beginnings.

Strokes11Radical日Frequency#12076DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the morning is often seen as a time for new beginnings and is associated with traditional practices such as morning exercises or tai chi, reflecting a focus on health and vitality.

Memory Tip

Think of '晨' as a 'shining sun rising over a hill at dawn.' The left side, '日', represents the sun, while '辰' can evoke the idea of time passing from night to day, helping you remember both the meaning and pronunciation.

Meanings of 晨

chén(chen2)
1morning
2dawn
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 晨

晨Simplified
11Strokes
日Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#12076Frequency Rank

Podcast: 晨

JasonAmy

Podcast: 晨

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 晨

Quick Contrast

晨 (chén) vs 早 (zǎo) — use 晨 for a more formal or literary context referring to morning, while 早 is more casual and commonly used in everyday conversation.

Memory Mnemonic

Think of '晨' as a 'shining sun rising over a hill at dawn.' The left side, '日', represents the sun, while '辰' can evoke the idea of time passing from night to day, helping you remember both the meaning and pronunciation.

Usage Notes

Avoid mixing '晨' with '早' (zǎo), which also means morning but is used differently in phrases. '晨' is typically used in more formal contexts, such as '晨曦' (chénxī - morning light). Be careful with the third tone of '晨' to avoid mispronouncing it as 'chěn'.

HSK Study Tips

While '晨' is not specifically listed in HSK levels, it connects well with other time-related words in HSK 1 and 2, such as '早' (early) and '天' (day). Focus on using '晨' in sentences related to time and daily routines.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the morning is often seen as a time for new beginnings and is associated with traditional practices such as morning exercises or tai chi, reflecting a focus on health and vitality.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse '晨' with '早', using them interchangeably in phrases. For example, saying '早晨好' is correct, but saying '晨早好' is incorrect; use '早晨好' instead.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 晨

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Etymology of 晨

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

Phonosemantic compound. 日 represents the meaning and 辰 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

sun

Semantic (meaning)日
+
Phonetic (sound)辰
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 晨?

Decomposition of 晨

IDS Structure⿱日辰
晨Full Character
=
日Ri4
top
辰chen2
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 晨?

Write 晨

晨

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 晨

晨 carries 4 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Related grammar lessons3
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

早____开始禁食前，记下你的体重。

On the morning before starting the fast, write down your starting weight.

Example Sentences for 晨 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
早晨开始禁食前，记下你的体重。

zǎo chén kāi shǐ jīn shí qián， ， jì xià nǐ de tǐ。

On the morning before starting the fast, write down your starting weight.
2
他起床后穿上了晨衣。

tā qǐ chuáng hòu chuān shàng le chén yī。

He got out of bed and pulled on his bathrobe.
3
那个凉爽而晴朗的早晨让他异常兴奋。

nà gè liáng shuǎng ér qíng lǎng de zǎo chén ràng tā yì cháng xīng fèn。

He felt strangely exhilarated by the brisk, blue morning.
4
9月到了,早晨已有了寒意.

9 9 yuè dào, le , zǎo chén yǐ yǒu le.

September is here, bringing with it a chill in the mornings.
5
这是个和煦的早晨，阳光普照。

zhè shì gè hé xù de zǎo chén， ， yáng guāng pǔ。

It is a mild morning and the sun is shining.
6
请在明天早晨5:30打电话叫醒我好吗？

qǐng zài míng tiān zǎo chén5:30 5:30 dǎ diàn huà jiào xǐng wǒ hǎo？

Could I have an alarm call at 30 tomorrow, please?
7
纽约清晨的空气会冷得让人难以忍受。

niǔ yuē qīng chén de kōng qì huì lěng dé ràng rén nán yǐ rěn shòu。

The early-morning New York air can be brutally cold.
8
那天早晨，他没能和队长配合好。

nà tiān zǎo chén， ， tā méi néng hé duì cháng pèi hé。

He was not a fit companion for their skipper that particular morning.
9
他今天早晨已想尽办法与她联系。

tā jīn tiān zǎo chén yǐ xiǎng jìn bàn fǎ yǔ tā lián xì。

This morning he had tried every way possible to contact her.
10
清晨，天空呈现出斑驳的深灰色。

qīng chén， ， tiān kōng chéng xiàn chū bān bó de shēn huī。

In the mornings the sky appeared a heavy shade of mottled gray.

Cultural Notes for 晨

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the morning is often seen as a time for new beginnings and is associated with traditional practices such as morning exercises or tai chi, reflecting a focus on health and vitality.

Word Family of 晨

Compounds1
鷐
Words Containing This Character18
凌晨língchénin the wee hours
早晨zǎochenearly morning
晨chéndawn
清晨qīngchénearly morning
晨报morning newspaper晨報
今晨this morning
晨曦first rays of morning sun
晨练morning exercise晨練
北京晨报Beijing Morning Post, www.morningpost.com.cn北京晨報
晨星morning stars
晨露morning dew
晨间(of the) morning晨間
晨昏day and night
寥若晨星sparse
晨钟暮鼓lit. morning bell, evening drum, symbolizing monastic practice (idiom); fig. encouragement to study or progress晨鐘暮鼓
一日之计在于晨make your day's plan early in the morning (idiom)一日之計在於晨
暮鼓晨钟the passage of time in a disciplined existence暮鼓晨鐘
霜晨frosty morning
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 凌晨 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 晨

'晨' is often found in phrases such as '晨跑' (morning run) or '晨曦' (morning light).