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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#12076DifficultyVery Hard
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
Podcast: 晨
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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.
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.
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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Drill the tone of 晨 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
Phonosemantic compound. 日 represents the meaning and 辰 represents the sound.
1The meaning half日 carries the sense.
2The sound half辰 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaysun
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 晨? 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 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?
How to say morning in Chinese
“morning” in Chinese is晨chén
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.
When to use 晨
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'.
晨 or something close to it
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.
What learners get wrong
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.
Write 晨
晨
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Practice writing 晨 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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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.
