TongTong
Sign in

今朝 (jīn zhāo) — today; the present; now; this morning

Definition

Literary or poetic word for 'today' / 'the present'. 比 今天 more formal and often carries a sense of seizing the moment (as in 把握今朝).

noun
todaythe presentnowthis morning

Examples

  • 今朝。
    jīn zhāo Wǒ men qìng zhù shèng lì.
    Today we celebrate victory.
  • 今朝。
    jīn zhāo Tiān qì hěn hǎo.
    This morning the weather is very good.
  • 今朝，。
    Bǎ wò jīn zhāo, bú yào děng dào míng tiān.
    Seize the present, don't wait until tomorrow.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

今jīnpresent
朝cháomorning

“今” points to the present and “朝” to the morning, giving this morning or today.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

One explanation sees the shape as an upside-down mouth with a line below it, giving the idea of not speaking.

Open 今 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

Originally, 朝 showed the sun rising above the ground while the moon was still in the sky, giving the sense of morning.

Open 朝 →
Appears in
Days & WeeksTime of Day

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.