<p>Here are Baidu entries for <a href="http://baike.baidu.com/view/854957.htm" rel="noreferrer">早晨</a> and <a href="http://baike.baidu.com/view/924974.htm" rel="noreferrer">早上</a> should you be able to read them.</p>

<p>Generally speaking, people will treat 早晨 and 早上 exactly the same way unless explicitly directed other ways. It's OK to translate both of them to <strong>morning</strong>.</p>

<p>In case you want to express early morning or daybreak, you may consider using 清晨.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-11T22:09:41.003Z
2012-01-11T23:02:26.963Z
2012-01-11T23:02:26.963Z
Terry Li
<p>晨 itself means early morning or daybreak so 早晨 is early morning. </p>

<p>早上 is for the morning period and can also be used throughout the entire morning period.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-12T19:39:12.710Z
@xiaohuozi, your Chinese is so good! it sounds from one of your prev. posts that you are married. otherwise you can go on the famous Chinese show [非诚勿扰](http://baike.baidu.com/view/1664023.htm)。 :)
Laguna
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-12T22:10:48.293Z
@Lagoona - One of my good friends here in Australia went on that show a couple of months ago in a special show which was for Australian contestants only. They brought both the men and the ladies from Australia. Although he didn't do well because his friends made him look bad during the friends interview part.
going
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-13T13:59:19.103Z
@xiaohuozi, WOW that's outstanding! I watched that episode too. This world is so small. Were you the friend who made him look bad?  ;)
Laguna
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-16T00:25:58.480Z
@Lagoona - The link to the show is here http://www.jstv.com/c/ws/fcwr/201107/t20110724_538002.shtml I was in China at the time the filming was done but the friend part was filmed in Australia. He is the first guy in the linked episode.
going
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-11T21:52:33.333Z
2012-01-11T21:52:33.333Z
going
<p>I agree with Terry that 早上 and 早晨 are synonymous, with perhaps very slight differences in connotation. Pace Gapton, I wouldn't say that 早上 can always refer to any time from early morning to 11:59 am; for that time period, in some cases it is better to use the more general term 上午.</p>

<p>One place this distinction is important is in greetings. A person writing an email to a colleague at 10:30 am wouldn't start their email with 早上好 ("good morning") because it sounds like the writer just got up. In this case, the looser term 上午好 is more appropriate.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-12T18:49:24.597Z
2012-01-12T18:49:24.597Z
Alf
<p>As pointed out by xiaohouzi79, 晨 actually carries the meaning of sunrise, hence implying <strong>early</strong> morning. However this indication is weak, especially when you contrast 早晨 and 早上。</p>

<p>However 早上 would cover the entire morning, say, from 6am to 11:59am. Therefore in a way, it is less specific.</p>

<p>If we want to refer to extremely early morning, before dawn, say 3am to 6am. We sometimes use the word 清晨 and if we are talking about "morning" as in "after midnight" (00:01 to 3am for example) we usually use the word 凌晨 .</p>

<p>So after sunrise, we usually just say 早上 , since that time period is not close to 晨 (sunrise) anymore.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-12T04:20:52.607Z
Just a supplement.According to the old dictinoary 《说文》,晨 is created on the base of 辰(the lower part). 辰 was a time mark represents 7:00-9:00 am in ancient times.With the upper part 日(the sun), you may understand why it means the time related to sunrise. I also agree that 早晨 gives me a feeling of early morning.
Huang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-12T03:18:21.133Z
2012-01-12T03:18:21.133Z
Gapton
<p>I have a feeling that one might mean <em>slightly earlier</em>. Is this right?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-30T16:03:20.270Z
今天早晨 is written, like from a book or for when you are speaking to someone of higher status. 今天早上 is more colloquial.
MaoYiyi
<usage>
Is there a nuance 今天早晨 conveys that 今天早上 does not?
# Is there a nuance 今天早晨 conveys that 今天早上 does not?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-01-11)

I have a feeling that one might mean *slightly earlier*. Is this right?

**Tags:** usage

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 今天早晨 is written, like from a book or for when you are speaking to someone of higher status. 今天早上 is more colloquial.  

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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2012-01-12. Score: 10 | Accepted answer

As pointed out by xiaohouzi79, 晨 actually carries the meaning of sunrise, hence implying **early** morning. However this indication is weak, especially when you contrast 早晨 and 早上。

However 早上 would cover the entire morning, say, from 6am to 11:59am. Therefore in a way, it is less specific.

If we want to refer to extremely early morning, before dawn, say 3am to 6am. We sometimes use the word 清晨 and if we are talking about "morning" as in "after midnight" (00:01 to 3am for example) we usually use the word 凌晨 .

So after sunrise, we usually just say 早上 , since that time period is not close to 晨 (sunrise) anymore.

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: Just a supplement.According to the old dictinoary 《说文》,晨 is created on the base of 辰(the lower part). 辰 was a time mark represents 7:00-9:00 am in ancient times.With the upper part 日(the sun), you may understand why it means the time related to sunrise. I also agree that 早晨 gives me a feeling of early morning.  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2012-01-11. Score: 5

Here are Baidu entries for [早晨](http://baike.baidu.com/view/854957.htm) and [早上](http://baike.baidu.com/view/924974.htm) should you be able to read them.

Generally speaking, people will treat 早晨 and 早上 exactly the same way unless explicitly directed other ways. It's OK to translate both of them to **morning**.

In case you want to express early morning or daybreak, you may consider using 清晨.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2012-01-11. Score: 3

晨 itself means early morning or daybreak so 早晨 is early morning.

早上 is for the morning period and can also be used throughout the entire morning period.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: @xiaohuozi, your Chinese is so good! it sounds from one of your prev. posts that you are married. otherwise you can go on the famous Chinese show [非诚勿扰](http://baike.baidu.com/view/1664023.htm)。 :)  
> **username_3**: @Lagoona - One of my good friends here in Australia went on that show a couple of months ago in a special show which was for Australian contestants only. They brought both the men and the ladies from Australia. Although he didn't do well because his friends made him look bad during the friends interview part.  
> **username_4**: @xiaohuozi, WOW that's outstanding! I watched that episode too. This world is so small. Were you the friend who made him look bad?  ;)  
> **username_3**: @Lagoona - The link to the show is here http://www.jstv.com/c/ws/fcwr/201107/t20110724_538002.shtml I was in China at the time the filming was done but the friend part was filmed in Australia. He is the first guy in the linked episode.  

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### Answer by username_5 on 2012-01-12. Score: 0

I agree with username_2 that 早上 and 早晨 are synonymous, with perhaps very slight differences in connotation. Pace username_6, I wouldn't say that 早上 can always refer to any time from early morning to 11:59 am; for that time period, in some cases it is better to use the more general term 上午.

One place this distinction is important is in greetings. A person writing an email to a colleague at 10:30 am wouldn't start their email with 早上好 ("good morning") because it sounds like the writer just got up. In this case, the looser term 上午好 is more appropriate.


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