How to Write 旦 (dàn) — Meaning “Dawn / morning”

Picture the sun (日) just peeking over a flat horizon (the bottom line). This image of a sunrise directly reminds you that 旦 means dawn or morning.

The bottom horizontal stroke should be slightly wider than the 日 above it. Make sure the vertical strokes of 日 stop before touching the bottom line, and write the bottom line from left to right as the final stroke.

旦 has a horizontal line under 日, unlike 日 which has no bottom line. 旧 has a different right side (like a hook) and means "old," while 旦 is always about dawn or a time reference.

旦 appears in common words like 元旦 (New Year's Day) and 一旦 (once/in case). It adds a classical tone in phrases like 旦夕 (morning and evening / in a short time), often used in formal or literary contexts.

Common words containing 旦 include: 元旦 (yuán dàn) — New Year's Day; 一旦 (yí dàn) — once; in case; now that; 旦夕 (dàn xī) — Morning and evening / in a short time.