旦 (dàn) - dawn, daybreak & morning

旦Tone 4

dàn ｜ 5 strokes ｜ radical: 日

橙丁

旦 · dàn

dawn, daybreak;

morning;

day;

a female role in traditional Chinese opera

dawn, daybreakmorningday

Usage highlights

dawnNew Year's Dayfemale opera roleHua Dan role typeQing Yi role typemorning and evening

Synonyms

  • 晨— morning, dawn
  • 朝— morning, dawn
  • 晓— daybreak, dawn

Antonyms

  • 夕— evening, dusk
  • 暮— evening, twilight
  • 夜— night

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The sun rises at dawn (旦).
  • New Year's Day (元旦) is a holiday.
  • She plays the female lead (旦角) in Peking opera.
  • The danger is imminent (危在旦夕).

Collocations

  • dawn(旦)
  • New Year's Day(元旦)
  • female opera role(旦角)
  • Hua Dan role type(花旦)
  • Qing Yi role type(青衣旦)
  • morning and evening(旦夕)

Idioms

  • Danger is imminent(危在旦夕)
  • Sitting through the night till dawn(坐以待旦)
  • A single day apart seems like three years(一日三旦)
  • Tong Tian Dan (通天旦) - opera title

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese opera, '旦' refers to all female roles, with subtypes like Hua Dan (vivacious young woman) and Qing Yi (virtuous woman).
  • The character depicts the sun rising above the horizon, symbolizing new beginnings and hope.
  • Used in Tibetan names like 'Dan Ba' as a phonetic element with positive connotations.

FAQ