旦
dàn
dawn, morning
At a glance · 旦

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Evolution of the glyph

Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.

旦 Evolution of the glyph
  1. 旦 Object sketch
    Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
  2. 旦 Oracle bone
    Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
  3. 旦 Seal script
    Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
  4. 旦 Clerical script
    Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
  5. 旦 Regular script
    Regular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested:oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.

甲骨文、金文象日出于地平线(一)之上,会意天明。隶楷作「旦」。

What the sketch shows

旦 Object sketch

Origins & notes

「旦」本指清晨日出,引申为一日、天亮。

Structure

会意字,从日从一(地),日出地平为旦。

At a glance

Pinyindàn
Radical日
Strokes5
UnicodeU+65E6
Character type会意
Theme天文

Six languages, one character

Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.

English dawn, morning Dawn, daybreak; morning.
Français aube, matin L'aube, le lever du jour; matin.
Español amanecer, mañana El amanecer; mañana.
العربية فجر، صباح الفجر أو الصباح الباكر.
Русский рассвет, утро Рассвет, начало дня; утро.

Common words

  • 元旦yuán dànNew Year
  • 旦dàndawn