旦 dàn dawn
dawn; day
How it came to be
The sun with a line drawn under it: the horizon it has just cleared. The line says where the sun is, not what it is.
How it is used
- Bound character, rarely stands alone.
- 一旦 yídàn functions as a conditional connector meaning "once/in the event that": 一旦发现问题就要报告 "once a problem is found, report it right away."
- 元旦 Yuándàn "New Year's Day" (Jan 1, solar calendar) is distinct from 春节 Chūnjié, the Lunar New Year.