曙(あけぼの)

あけぼの
noun
dawn, daybreak
1. dawn, daybreak
The time when the sky begins to lighten before sunrise; early morning twilight.
曙(あけぼの)の空(そら)。
The dawn sky.
曙(あけぼの)の光(ひかり)が差(さ)し込(こ)む。
The light of dawn streams in.
春(はる)は曙(あけぼの)。
In spring, the dawn is lovely.
Famous opening line from 枕草子(まくらのそうし) (The Pillow Book).
2. beginning, dawn (figurative)
The early stages or beginning of something, especially a new era or movement.
新時代(しんじだい)の曙(あけぼの)。
The dawn of a new era.
文明(ぶんめい)の曙(あけぼの)。
The dawn of civilization.
この発見(はっけん)は科学(かがく)革命(かくめい)の曙(あけぼの)となった。
This discovery became the dawn of the scientific revolution.

曙(あけぼの) is a poetic word for dawn.

LITERARY SIGNIFICANCE:
The word is famous from the opening of 枕草子(まくらのそうし) (The Pillow Book, ~1000 CE): 春(はる)は曙(あけぼの) ("In spring, the dawn...").

REGISTER:
Poetic and literary; for everyday use, 夜明(よあ)け or 明(あ)け方(がた) are more common.

RELATED:

  • 暁(あかつき): dawn (also literary)
  • 夜明(よあ)け: daybreak (more common)
  • 日(ひ)の出(で): sunrise
general
Added 2026.2.4 23:18
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