辰 (chén): meaning and use in a Chinese name
The character 辰, pronounced chén, means "early morning; fifth earthly branch; Kangxi radical 161". It has 7 strokes and belongs to the ⾠ radical (No.161). Below: what it means, how it is built, the words it appears in, and how it works in a name.
Quick facts
| Character | 辰 |
| Pinyin | chén |
| Meaning | early morning; fifth earthly branch; Kangxi radical 161 |
| Strokes | 7 |
| Radical | ⾠ (No. 161) |
What 辰 means
early morning; fifth earthly branch; Kangxi radical 161. This is the sense recorded in the Unihan database; in a name it carries that meaning into the person’s name.
The character's structure
辰 is written with 7 strokes under the ⾠ radical (No.161). Stroke count matters for two reasons: in naming it affects how the character balances with its pair, and in design it determines the minimum size at which the character stays legible. Characters with fewer, longer strokes hold up better at small sizes than dense ones.
Common words with 辰
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 诞辰 | dàn chén | birthday | newest-7 |
| 丙辰 | bing3 chen2 | fifty-third year C5 of the 60 year cycle, e.g. 1976 or 2036 | — |
| 壬辰 | ren2 chen2 | twenty-ninth year I5 of the 60 year cycle, e.g. 2012 or 2072 | — |
| 庚辰 | geng1 chen2 | seventeenth year G5 of the 60 year cycle, e.g. 2000 or 2060 | — |
| 忌辰 | ji4 chen2 | anniversary of a death | — |
| 戊辰 | wu4 chen2 | fifth year E5 of the 60 year cycle, e.g. 1988 or 2048 | — |
Words and levels from the HSK vocabulary list; meanings from CC-CEDICT.
Using 辰 in a Chinese name
辰 carries a positive, explainable meaning, which is what a name character should do. When you pair it, choose a second character with a complementary meaning and a different tone — repeated tones sound clumsy. Then say the full name with the family name aloud and listen for unintended homophones.
Name combinations
Each combination pairs 辰 with a common surname. The best choice depends on the full name's sound and meaning.
Frequently asked questions
What does 辰 mean?
辰 (chén) means “early morning; fifth earthly branch; Kangxi radical 161”.
How do you pronounce 辰?
辰 is pronounced chén in Mandarin.
How many strokes does 辰 have?
辰 has 7 strokes, with the radical ⾠ (161).
Is 辰 suitable for a Chinese name?
Yes — 辰 is used in given names, and it appears in everyday words such as 诞辰、丙辰、壬辰. Whether it reads more masculine or feminine depends on the character it is paired with.
What characters pair well with 辰?
Pair it with a character of complementary meaning and a different tone. Say the full name aloud with the surname before deciding.
Get a name built from your birth date and Five Elements, with the meaning of every character.
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Character data: Unihan (Unicode) · words: HSK vocabulary & CC-CEDICT · How we verify this