清晨

• Pinyin: qīng chén
• Hanzi breakdown: 清 = 氵(water) + 青, clear/fresh; 晨 = 日 (sun) + 辰, morning

Meaning

Early morning; dawn. The period just after sunrise when the day begins.

More literary than 早上. Often used in writing to describe peaceful morning scenes: 清晨的阳光 (morning sunlight), 清晨的空气 (morning air). Implies freshness and tranquility.

Examples

1. 清晨的空气格外清新。 The early morning air is especially fresh.
2. 他每天清晨五点起床跑步。 He gets up at 5 AM every morning to go running.
3. 清晨的公园里已经有很多人在锻炼了。 The park is already full of people exercising in the early morning.

Usage Guide

Context: time, nature, writing

Tone: poetic

Do Say

• 清晨的露珠晶莹剔透。(Morning dew is crystal clear.)
• 我喜欢清晨的宁静。(I love the tranquility of early morning.)

Don't Say

• 清晨十点。(清晨 refers to early morning, around dawn — 10 AM would just be 上午)

Origin & History

清 (qīng, clear/fresh) + 晨 (chén, morning). The clear, fresh time of morning.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal