<p>To answer you question, the difference between 早 and 早晨 is </p>

<p>早 means early by itself, however, in this case 早 means early part of the day, which is morning! In Chinese it is rare to use just one character to convey an idea, so 早上 (upper part of the daytime) is used to mean morning.</p>

<p>早晨 means the time between early morning (凌晨 00:00-06:00) and morning (早上06:00-11:00)，so around 06:00 - 08:00.</p>

<p>Actually there is not a official cut off point for each period of the day, the definition above is based on me being a native speaker for more than 30 years.  </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2014-05-27T19:21:26.957Z
2019-12-26T13:44:00.023Z
2019-12-26T13:44:00.023Z
ChineseHulu.com
<p>It is all about regional, dialect preference and practice. So there is no "official", "common" way to greet someone "good morning" in Chinese, whether in mainland China or else where in the world. </p>

<p>Even in the English speaking world, stretching from the UK to the US to Australia and NZ, you will find numerous ways how this start-of-day greeting is made or unmade.</p>

<p>So, perhaps due to sheer idiosyncratic reticence, (which is a common human trait), as usually nothing much else is said after the brief morning greeting, people may reduce a "good morning, how are you" to just "mornin", (perhaps followed by a slight dip of the head), and everyone goes their own private way.</p>

<p>Similarly the Chinese just reduce the more communicative full-length "早上好 or 早安" to just a curtly 早, "mornin"</p>

<p>BTW, as far as I am aware, 早晨 is used mostly by the Cantonese, pronounced in Cantonese of course.        </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-27T09:36:51.250Z
2019-12-27T09:36:51.250Z
Wayne Cheah
<p>What is the difference between 早 and 早晨?  I hear people say 早晨好 sometimes.</p>

<p>Does it refer to a different time in the day?   They both say morning in my dictionary.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-23T00:47:52.283Z
dialect thing. 早晨 is preferred in Cantonese. 早/早上好 is preferred in Mandarin (mainland). And 早安 is more often heard in Taiwan.
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-23T01:58:27.040Z
@Stan I've also heard 你早 from a Chinese teacher born & raised in 哈尔滨. Do you know if this is common, or Northern regional, or just plain uncommon?
Ming
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-23T05:56:49.310Z
@Ming I think it's common in Northern / Northeastern China (I've been in Shenyang for several years). And it only sounds right in Mandarin or Mandarin-like dialect to me. BTW, in my own experience, it seems "你早" isn't often used by young people -- I don't know why.
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-25T23:56:50.503Z
@Stan ahh yeah I haven't heard it really from many people. Thanks :)
Ming
<difference><greetings>
What is the difference between 早 and 早晨? E.g. 早晨好
# What is the difference between 早 and 早晨? E.g. 早晨好

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-05-22)

What is the difference between 早 and 早晨? I hear people say 早晨好 sometimes.

Does it refer to a different time in the day? They both say morning in my dictionary.

**Tags:** difference, greetings

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: dialect thing. 早晨 is preferred in Cantonese. 早/早上好 is preferred in Mandarin (mainland). And 早安 is more often heard in Taiwan.  
> **username_2**: @username_1 I've also heard 你早 from a Chinese teacher born & raised in 哈尔滨. Do you know if this is common, or Northern regional, or just plain uncommon?  
> **username_1**: @username_2 I think it's common in Northern / Northeastern China (I've been in Shenyang for several years). And it only sounds right in Mandarin or Mandarin-like dialect to me. BTW, in my own experience, it seems "你早" isn't often used by young people -- I don't know why.  
> **username_2**: @username_1 ahh yeah I haven't heard it really from many people. Thanks :)  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-05-27. Score: 2

To answer you question, the difference between 早 and 早晨 is

早 means early by itself, however, in this case 早 means early part of the day, which is morning! In Chinese it is rare to use just one character to convey an idea, so 早上 (upper part of the daytime) is used to mean morning.

早晨 means the time between early morning (凌晨 00:00-06:00) and morning (早上06:00-11:00)，so around 06:00 - 08:00.

Actually there is not a official cut off point for each period of the day, the definition above is based on me being a native speaker for more than 30 years.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2019-12-27. Score: 1

It is all about regional, dialect preference and practice. So there is no "official", "common" way to greet someone "good morning" in Chinese, whether in mainland China or else where in the world.

Even in the English speaking world, stretching from the UK to the US to Australia and NZ, you will find numerous ways how this start-of-day greeting is made or unmade.

So, perhaps due to sheer idiosyncratic reticence, (which is a common human trait), as usually nothing much else is said after the brief morning greeting, people may reduce a "good morning, how are you" to just "mornin", (perhaps followed by a slight dip of the head), and everyone goes their own private way.

Similarly the Chinese just reduce the more communicative full-length "早上好 or 早安" to just a curtly 早, "mornin"

BTW, as far as I am aware, 早晨 is used mostly by the Cantonese, pronounced in Cantonese of course.


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