noun / time word HSK 6
Traditional 拂曉
dawn · daybreak · the break of day
Meaning
拂晓 refers to the moment when the sky begins to lighten just before sunrise, the earliest part of the morning when darkness gives way to light. It's a literary and formal term for dawn, more elegant than the everyday word 早上 (morning).
Usage
This is a relatively formal or literary term often used in written Chinese, news reports, military contexts, or poetic descriptions. In everyday conversation, people typically use 早上 or 清晨 instead. It commonly appears in phrases describing actions that take place at dawn, such as military operations or the beginning of a journey.
Examples
- 01部队在拂晓时分发起了进攻。.The troops launched an attack at dawn.
- 02我们计划拂晓出发，赶在日出前到达山顶。, .We plan to set out at daybreak and reach the mountaintop before sunrise.
Characters
Common collocations
- 拂晓时分at the break of dawn
- 拂晓前before dawn
- 拂晓出发to set out at dawn
- 拂晓攻击dawn attack
Antonyms
Origin
拂 originally means 'to brush away' and 晓 means 'dawn' or 'to become light.' Together, 拂晓 poetically captures the image of darkness being brushed away as daylight arrives.