拂晓 (fú xiǎo) — dawn; daybreak | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

dawndaybreak

Examples

拂晓。
fú xiǎo De tiān kōng wēi wēi fā liàng.
The sky at dawn is slightly brightening.
拂晓。
Jūn duì zài fú xiǎo shí fēn chū fā.
The army set out at dawn.
拂晓。
fú xiǎo De jǐng sè měi dé ràng rén táo zuì.
The dawn scenery is so beautiful it intoxicates people.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

拂fúapproach

The 拂 of approaching the 晓, dawn, names daybreak.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

扌弗拂

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

弗

弗fú拂fú

Same sound today

The left part 扌 is a hand, matching actions like flicking or whisking, while 弗 gives the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 曉; 晓 is its simplified writing.

日堯曉

Meaning part形符xíngfú

日日rìsun

Sound part声符shēngfú

堯

堯yáo曉xiǎo

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 曉 puts 日, a sun, beside 堯, which gives the sound; the simplified 晓 is a shorthand and its right side is not that sound part.

Appears in

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