朝 – Kanji Meaning, Reading, and Common Words

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What does 朝 mean in Japanese?

朝 means morning in Japanese. You will meet it every day in words such as 朝ご飯 (asagohan, breakfast), 毎朝 (maiasa, every morning), and 今朝 (kesa, this morning).

朝 has two main readings. Read it as あさ (asa) when it stands alone or in everyday words such as 朝ご飯, and as チョウ (chou) in formal compounds such as 朝食 (choushoku, breakfast). Watch out for 今朝 (kesa, this morning), a special reading that does not follow the usual rules.

Reading

On’yomi: チョウ (chou)

Kun’yomi: あさ (asa)

Basic Information

Kanji 朝
Meaning morning
Stroke Count 12
JLPT Level N4

How to Understand This Kanji

朝 is the plain word for morning, used alone (朝です, it is morning) and in daily-life words read with あさ. The formal reading チョウ appears in 朝食 (breakfast), the word you will see on hotel plans and restaurant menus, while 朝ご飯 is what people actually say at home. The character combines 日 (sun) and 月 (moon), which is often used as a memory aid: the sun rising while the moon still hangs in the sky.

Common Words

  • 朝（あさ / asa） — morning
  • 朝ご飯（あさごはん / asagohan） — breakfast
  • 毎朝（まいあさ / maiasa） — every morning
  • 今朝（けさ / kesa） — this morning
  • 朝食（ちょうしょく / choushoku） — breakfast (formal)
  • 朝日（あさひ / asahi） — morning sun

Example Sentences

  • 毎朝、六時に起きます。

    まいあさ、ろくじにおきます。 / Maiasa, rokuji ni okimasu.

    I get up at six every morning.

  • 今朝は何も食べませんでした。

    けさはなにもたべませんでした。 / Kesa wa nani mo tabemasen deshita.

    I didn’t eat anything this morning.

  • ホテルの朝食はとてもおいしかったです。

    ほてるのちょうしょくはとてもおいしかったです。 / Hoteru no choushoku wa totemo oishikatta desu.

    The hotel breakfast was very delicious.

Related Kanji

  • 昼

    — 昼 means noon or daytime, the next part of the day after 朝; learning 朝, 昼, and 夜 together gives you the full daily cycle.

  • 夜

    — 夜 means night, the opposite end of the day from 朝; the contrast appears in everyday phrases like 朝から夜まで (from morning to night).

  • 日

    — 日 means sun and is visible inside 朝, together with 月 (moon); the image of the sun rising while the moon remains helps many learners remember this kanji.

When Learners Usually See This Kanji

Learn 朝ご飯 (casual) and 朝食 (formal) as a register pair; hotels advertise 朝食付き (breakfast included). 今朝 (kesa) is an irregular reading that learners simply memorize, like 今日 (kyou). 毎朝 follows the handy 毎 pattern: 毎朝 (every morning), 毎日 (every day), 毎週 (every week).

Summary

朝 means morning and appears in everyday essentials such as 朝ご飯, 毎朝, and the irregular 今朝, forming the first third of the Japanese day.