How to Write 昼 (zhòu) — Meaning “Daytime”

Imagine the sun (日) shining down while you use a ruler (尺) to mark how long the daytime lasts. This visual of measuring sunlight helps you connect the parts to the meaning "daytime."

Start with the radical 日 on top, then write the bottom part 尺 — make sure the 日 is centered and not too large. A common mistake is making the 尺 too wide; keep its vertical strokes narrow so the character stays balanced.

昼 (daytime) has 日 on top and 尺 below. 旰 (gàn, late in the day) has 日 on the left and 干 on the right. 旱 (hàn, drought) has 日 on top and 干 below — so the positions and bottom components are different.

昼 appears in formal or written contexts, especially in the word 昼夜 (zhòu yè, day and night) and 白昼 (bái zhòu, broad daylight). It is not common in everyday conversation but is used in literature, weather reports, and idioms.

Common words containing 昼 include: 昼夜 (zhòu yè) — Day and night; 白昼 (bái zhòu) — daytime; 昼伏 (zhòu fú) — Hiding during the day.