Japanese word

曙

Pronunciation

Romajiakebono

Meaning

  • noundawn

Example

山の曙を静かに眺めました。yama no akebono o shizu ka ni naga me ma shi ta

I quietly watched the dawn over the mountains.

Illustration for 曙 (dawn)

More examples

東の空が曙の光を受けて、淡く輝いています。higashi no sora ga akebono no hikari o u ke te awa ku kagaya i te i ma su

The eastern sky is glowing softly in the light of dawn.

Core concept

Describes the first light that breaks the darkness and marks the start of a day or a new stage.

Common phrases

  • 曙の空akebono no sora

    dawn sky

  • 曙を迎えるakebono o muka e ru

    welcome the dawn

  • 曙の光akebono no hikari

    light of dawn

Similar words

夜明けyoake: The time when night ends and daylight begins.
明け方akegata: The period near sunrise when the sky begins to grow light.
暁akatsuki: The early light of day, expressed in a literary style.
黎明reimei: The first light of day, often used in formal or figurative language.

Definition in Japanese

夜が明け始めて東の空が白みかけるころ。また、物事の始まり。yoru ga a ke haji me te higashi no sora ga shira mi ka ke ru ko ro ma ta mono goto no haji ma ri

Word origin

曙 (akebono) is a native Japanese word, often explained as 明け (ake, "daybreak") combined with ほの (hono, "faintly"); the full historical formation is uncertain.

Usage tips

  • The Pillow Book uses 春は曙 (haru wa akebono) as the opening of its seasonal description of spring, where dawn is presented as especially beautiful.

Other meanings

  • beginningnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word