<p>Maybe you should find some comparative charts of Chinese Zodiac/Earthly Branches to help you to remember them: 
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/2hqM8.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-02T11:47:29.833Z
It fits rather well into modern-day alcohol-induced-clubbing-weekend culture that the hours between 1 and 3 in the morning should be the _ugly hours_ (in the PRC, at least). Though I guess for most, the real ugliness tends to be the following morning…
Janus Bahs Jacquet
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-02T15:41:36.290Z
In Traditional Chinese Character, the earthly brach 丑 and 醜 (ugly) are two different characters...
Kholkhol
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-02T15:42:21.930Z
Hence why I said “in the PRC”, where simplified characters are used.
Janus Bahs Jacquet
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-02T10:25:05.493Z
2019-03-02T10:25:05.493Z
Kholkhol
<p>It is indeed related to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthly_Branches" rel="nofollow noreferrer">terrestrial (earthly) branches</a>, and in a 24-hour day,「子時」represents the time of day between 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM.「子正」, as noted in the question, specifically represents <em>midnight</em> (12:00 AM).</p>

<p>Unfortunately, there is no convenient mnemonic or etymology that you can use to make a connection between「子」and <em>midnight</em>, but I doubt that <em>midnight</em> shows up very often anyway as a meaning (unless you're into traditional Korean timekeeping?).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-29T07:36:26.777Z
I guess you could even say that 子 doesn't really "mean midnight", it's just a somewhat lazy/abbreviated way of explaining the notion behind 子时、子正
Fons MA
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-02T09:49:58.100Z
2019-03-02T09:55:28.763Z
2019-03-02T09:55:28.763Z
dROOOze
<p><a href="https://www.archchinese.com/chinese_english_dictionary.html?find=%E5%AD%90" rel="noreferrer">Arch Chinese</a> lists the meanings of 子 as </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>son, seed, egg, child, small thing, noun suffix(zi5), midnight, Kangxi radical number 39, 1st terrestrial branch</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The meanings of child, egg, diminutive noun suffix etc. are clearly related, but I find it hard to remember that this also means midnight (in particular in the Korean 자정/子正). </p>

<p>How does 子 come to mean 'midnight'? Is it related to the fact that it also stands for '1st terrestrial branch'?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-02T07:48:24.607Z
旧时计时单位时辰，一天被分成12个时辰，12个时辰对应12个地支。第一个时辰是23:00~01:00，也叫子时。
tsh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-02T08:05:31.950Z
Hi @tsh - I'm afraid I don't actually read Chinese - my interest in the characters is through learning Korean.
Нет войне
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-02T08:28:21.107Z
时辰 is an old time unit, 1时辰=2hours. A day is divided into 12 时辰 and we use 12地支(Earthly Branches) to name them. The first 时辰 in a day is from 23:00 to 01:00, which is called 子时.
tsh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-02T09:03:42.993Z
Thanks. Sounds like that could be an answer to this question, unless you think there's already a duplicate answer on the site somewhere.
Нет войне
<characters>
How does 子 come to mean 'midnight'?
# How does 子 come to mean 'midnight'?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-03-02)

[Arch Chinese](https://www.archchinese.com/chinese_english_dictionary.html?find=%E5%AD%90) lists the meanings of 子 as

> son, seed, egg, child, small thing, noun suffix(zi5), midnight, Kangxi radical number 39, 1st terrestrial branch

The meanings of child, egg, diminutive noun suffix etc. are clearly related, but I find it hard to remember that this also means midnight (in particular in the Korean 자정/子正).

How does 子 come to mean 'midnight'? Is it related to the fact that it also stands for '1st terrestrial branch'?

**Tags:** characters

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 旧时计时单位时辰，一天被分成12个时辰，12个时辰对应12个地支。第一个时辰是23:00~01:00，也叫子时。  
> **username_0**: Hi @username_1 - I'm afraid I don't actually read Chinese - my interest in the characters is through learning Korean.  
> **username_1**: 时辰 is an old time unit, 1时辰=2hours. A day is divided into 12 时辰 and we use 12地支(Earthly Branches) to name them. The first 时辰 in a day is from 23:00 to 01:00, which is called 子时.  
> **username_0**: Thanks. Sounds like that could be an answer to this question, unless you think there's already a duplicate answer on the site somewhere.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2019-03-02. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

It is indeed related to the [terrestrial (earthly) branches](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthly_Branches), and in a 24-hour day,「子時」represents the time of day between 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM.「子正」, as noted in the question, specifically represents *midnight* (12:00 AM).

Unfortunately, there is no convenient mnemonic or etymology that you can use to make a connection between「子」and *midnight*, but I doubt that *midnight* shows up very often anyway as a meaning (unless you're into traditional Korean timekeeping?).

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: I guess you could even say that 子 doesn't really "mean midnight", it's just a somewhat lazy/abbreviated way of explaining the notion behind 子时、子正  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2019-03-02. Score: 4

Maybe you should find some comparative charts of Chinese Zodiac/Earthly Branches to help you to remember them:
![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/2hqM8.jpg)

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: It fits rather well into modern-day alcohol-induced-clubbing-weekend culture that the hours between 1 and 3 in the morning should be the _ugly hours_ (in the PRC, at least). Though I guess for most, the real ugliness tends to be the following morning…  
> **username_2**: In Traditional Chinese Character, the earthly brach 丑 and 醜 (ugly) are two different characters...  
> **username_3**: Hence why I said “in the PRC”, where simplified characters are used.  

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