辰 chén early morning
How it came to be
A large clam shell, lip open, used as a hoe blade before there was metal. It was borrowed for the fifth of the twelve branches, whose hour is mid-morning.
How it is used
- Formal/literary word for time and celestial bodies - 星辰 (xīngchén) stars, 时辰 (shíchén) a two-hour period in the old system.
- 诞辰 (dànchén) is the respectful word for a birthday, used for elders and notable figures: 诞辰一百周年 (the 100th anniversary of his birth).
- Also the 5th of the twelve earthly branches, linked to the dragon.