辰 chén early morning
How it came to be
象形 · Pictogram
A drawing of the thing it means.
Originally: clam shell
The oldest form is probably a farming tool for tilling the fields.
用法
- Formal/literary word for time and celestial bodies: 星辰 (xīngchén) stars, 时辰 (shíchén) a two-hour period in the old system.
- 诞辰 (dànchén) is the respectful word for a birthday, used for elders and notable figures: 诞辰一百周年 (the 100th anniversary of his birth).
- Also the 5th of the twelve earthly branches, linked to the dragon.