早上
zǎoshang/t͡sɑʊ̯²¹⁴ ʂɑŋ⁴/
The English phrase 'morning' is translated into Chinese as 早上 (zǎoshang). If unsure, use 早上. Wiktionary also lists 上午 (shàngwǔ) and 午前 (wǔqián).
Meaning: part of the day between dawn and midday (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 早上 | zǎoshang | /t͡sɑʊ̯²¹⁴ ʂɑŋ⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /t͡sɔ¹¹ ʂã/ (Mandarin, Nanjing, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 上午 | shàngwǔ | /ʂɑŋ⁵¹ u²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /ʂɑŋ⁵¹ u¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 午前 | wǔqián | /u²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /ŋ̍¹³ t͡sʰiːn²¹/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 早起 | chá-khí | /t͡sa⁵⁵⁻³⁵ kʰi⁵⁵/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Hui'an, Zhangzhou, Zhangpu, Lukang, Philippines, Singapore, Penang, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) /t͡sa⁵⁴⁻²⁴ kʰi⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Hui'an, Zhangzhou, Zhangpu, Lukang, Philippines, Singapore, Penang, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
The term refers to the part of the day between dawn and midday. To turn the noun into a common greeting meaning 'good morning', you can add 好 (hǎo, meaning 'good') after the word to create 早上好.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 上午 is composed of 上 (shàng), meaning 'before' or 'above' and 午 (wǔ), meaning 'noon'.
Which one should you use?
While 早上 is a noun meaning 'morning', the phrase 早起 is a verb phrase meaning 'to rise early'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The word 早起 is a Hokkien term.
How do you pronounce it?
zǎoshang (/tsɑʊ̯²¹⁴ ʂɑŋ⁴/)
Did you know?
- In Chinese, the concept of 'noon' is represented by the character 午, which is the same character used to name the 'Horse' in the Chinese zodiac. This stems from the traditional way of dividing the day into twelve two-hour intervals.
- The word 早 (zǎo) can be used as a standalone adjective to describe someone who is 'precocious' or 'mature' for their age.
- The character 早 (zǎo) originally depicted a sun rising above a plant, a visual representation of the dawn and the start of the day.
Examples in context
- 早上要早起。Get up early in the morning.This sentence uses the verb phrase 早起 to describe the act of getting up early.Tatoeba #1423330 by sadhen, translation #277829 by CK
- 今天早上冷。It's cold this morning.This sentence shows how to use the noun 早上 to describe the weather this morning.Tatoeba #6936204 by verdastelo9604, translation #1905912 by Budz888
- 汤姆习惯早起。Tom is used to getting up early in the morning.This sentence uses the verb phrase 早起 to describe a habit of getting up early.Tatoeba #5091257 by mirrorvan, translation #4784162 by CK
- 277 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Xiaowen are talking about their breakfast plans.
- 伟 Wei你早上想吃什么？Nǐ zǎoshang xiǎng chī shénme?What do you want to eat in the morning?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我想吃面包。Wǒ xiǎng chī miànbāo.I want to eat bread.
- 伟 Wei我打算早上喝咖啡。Wǒ dǎsuàn zǎoshang hē kāfēi.I plan to drink coffee in the morning.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那太好了。Nà tài hǎole.That sounds great.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “morning” translations and entries 早上, 上午, 午前, 早起, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
