暁

dawn; when something (usu. desirable) comes true

Kanji 1174

Although あかつき sounds like “red moon,” it doesn’t mean that. Learn the etymology of this yomi. Find out how dawn connects to success and enlightenment and how to say such things as “When completed, this building will be the world’s tallest.” Learn the Japanese for “It’s always darkest before the dawn.” Read about a fascinating artist and an architect with 暁 in their names.

Revision history:

Oct. 13, 2023: p. 3: Changed the breakdown of 旦那 to ダン sound + ナ sound, using katakana in place of hiragana.

Jan. 19, 2020: 

• p. 2: Etymology Box: Replaced the old Henshall etymology with the new one.
• p. 12: Added a link to the Kanshudo games.

June 29, 2018: Originally published.