朝

cháo
HSK 5
#593 most
frequent character
imperial or royal court, government
noun
verb
preposition

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

朝 is a picture of the sun rising through plants while the moon remains in view. That gave the first meaning, “morning”. Read zhāo, it grew to “day” and “energetic”. Read cháo, it grew to holding court, visiting a superior, facing, royal court, and dynasty.

Drawn as: sun rising through plants; moon

朝 as a component in other characters

meaning1 character
潮
sound2 characters
潮嘲

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Example Sentences

在朝代更替的时候，国家经历了许多变化。
zài cháodài gēngtì de shíhòu ， guójiā jīnglì le xǔduō biànhuà 。
During the change of dynasties, the country went through many changes.
他朝着山顶走去，想要看看风景。
tā cháozhe shāndǐng zǒuqù ， xiǎngyào kànkàn fēngjǐng 。
He walked towards the mountain top, wanting to see the scenery.
这个朝代的皇帝非常有权力。
zhègè cháodài de huángdì fēicháng yǒu quánlì 。
The emperor of this dynasty had great power.

Grammar Points

HSK 5
Comparing "chao" "xiang" and "wang"

Same Characters, Different Readings

朝zhāo
morning

Words with similar meanings

朝代cháodài
dynasty
Specifically refers to a successive ruling family or period, while '朝' can refer to a broader concept of a reign or a court.

Homophones

潮cháo
moist, damp, humid, tide

Words Starting With 朝

朝代cháo dài
dynasty; reign (of a king)

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Public Lists with 朝

Politics & Government
Elections, political parties, government structure, policy, and lawmaking.
Advanced HSK5 Terms
Vocabulary commonly seen in HSK5 practice, bridging mid-high level usage.
HSK 5
All words for the HSK 5 test