1.
dawn, daybreak
The time of day when light first appears in the sky; the beginning of morning.
夜明けに起きた。
I got up at dawn.
夜明けの空が美しかった。
The sky at dawn was beautiful.
夜明け前が一番暗い。
It's darkest just before dawn.
A common saying meaning things are worst just before they get better
夜明けとともに鳥が鳴き始めた。
The birds started singing with the break of dawn.
夜明けとともに = at dawn, with the break of day
登山者たちは夜明け前に出発し、山頂で日の出を見た。
The climbers departed before dawn and saw the sunrise from the summit.
2.
beginning, dawn (figurative)
The start of a new era, period, or development.
新しい時代の夜明けだ。
It's the dawn of a new era.
Figurative usage
民主主義の夜明けを告げる出来事だった。
It was an event that heralded the dawn of democracy.
科学技術の夜明けとも言える発見だ。
It's a discovery that could be called the dawn of science and technology.
長い戦争が終わり、平和の夜明けがようやく訪れた。
The long war ended, and the dawn of peace finally arrived.
あの革命は、古い体制が崩れ、新しい社会の夜明けとなった歴史的な転換点だった。
That revolution was a historic turning point where the old system collapsed and became the dawn of a new society.
USAGE: 夜明け refers to the time when the sky begins to lighten. It can also be used figuratively to mean the beginning of something new.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 夜明け前 (before dawn)
- 夜明けとともに (at dawn, with the break of day)
- 〜の夜明け (the dawn of ~)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 明け方 - early morning, dawn
- 暁 - dawn (literary)
- 日の出 - sunrise