朝: the kanji for morning
朝 is a JLPT N4 kanji that means morning. Below are its readings, 11 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
朝 is written in 12 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
朝 has 2 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 10 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
チョウ (chou)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 朝食ちょうしょく · chōshoku | breakfast |
| 早朝そうちょう · sōchō | early morning |
| 朝刊ちょうかん · chōkan | morning newspaper |
| 朝礼ちょうれい · chōrei | morning meeting |
| 王朝おうちょう · ōchō | dynasty |
あさ (asa)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 朝あさ · asa | morning |
| 毎朝まいあさ · maiasa | every morning |
| 朝ご飯あさごはん · asagohan | breakfast |
| 朝日あさひ · asahi | morning sun |
| 朝寝坊あさねぼう · asanebō | oversleeping |
Special readings to learn as whole words
These words use 朝, but their readings do not follow the readings above. The Jōyō Kanji Table lists them as special readings. Learn each one as a whole word.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 今朝けさ · kesa | this morning |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 毎朝七時に起きます。Maiasa shichiji ni okimasu.I get up at seven every morning.
- 今朝、メールを送りました。Kesa, mēru o okurimashita.I sent the email this morning.
- ホテルの朝食は七時からです。Hoteru no chōshoku wa shichiji kara desu.Breakfast at the hotel starts at seven.
- 会社では毎日朝礼があります。Kaisha de wa mainichi chōrei ga arimasu.We have a morning meeting at the office every day.
- 朝寝坊して電車に遅れました。Asanebō shite densha ni okuremashita.I overslept and missed my train.
- 早朝の便で札幌へ行きます。Sōchō no bin de Sapporo e ikimasu.I'm flying to Sapporo on an early morning flight.
Questions about 朝
How many strokes does 朝 have?
朝 is written in 12 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 朝?
The on readings are chou (チョウ). The kun readings are asa (あさ).
What is a 朝礼 at a Japanese company?
朝礼 (chōrei) is a short morning meeting before work. Teams share the day's plans and announcements, and some companies do exercises or recite the company motto.
What JLPT level is 朝?
N4. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N4 is designed to match the former Level 3.
More JLPT N4 kanji
Time and seasons
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 朝
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.