凌晨

• Pinyin: líng chén
• Hanzi breakdown: 凌 = 冫 (ice) + 夌 (step over, surpass) — to surpass, go beyond; 晨 = 日 (sun) + 辰 (time, dawn)

Meaning

The small hours of the morning; the period from midnight to dawn, typically around 1–5 a.m.

Refers specifically to the very early hours before sunrise. Common in news reports, narrative writing, and everyday conversation when describing events that occur late at night or in the early pre-dawn hours.

Examples

1. 凌晨三点，他终于完成了这份紧急报告并发送出去。 At 3 a.m., he finally finished the urgent report and sent it out.
2. 那场大地震发生在凌晨两点多，大多数居民正在熟睡之中。 That major earthquake struck sometime after 2 a.m., when most residents were fast asleep.
3. 急救人员在凌晨接到报警后，立即赶赴事故现场展开救援。 After receiving an emergency call in the early hours, paramedics immediately rushed to the scene to begin rescue efforts.

Usage Guide

Context: time, everyday, news

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 案件发生在凌晨两点左右。(The incident occurred at around 2 a.m.)
• 他连续工作到凌晨才肯休息。(He worked continuously until the small hours before finally resting.)

Don't Say

• 把'凌晨'和'清晨'混用 — 凌晨 is midnight to ~5 a.m.; 清晨 is the period after dawn breaks (Don't confuse 凌晨 with 清晨 — 清晨 means early morning after sunrise, not the small hours before dawn)

Origin & History

凌 (to rise above, surpass; ice) + 晨 (morning, dawn) — the hours that precede and rise into the morning.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal