日 Sun in Chinese (rì)

Dictionary Summary

日 (rì) means (bound form) sun; day; day of the month. Simplified form has 4 strokes under radical 日.

Pinyin & Tonerì (Tone 4)

Simplified / Trad.日 / 日

Radical日

Total Strokes4 strokes

StructureFull Enclosure (口 + 一)

Unicode / LevelU+65E5 · HSK 1

Native Naming & Tattoo Safety Review

🪪 Using “日” in a Chinese Name · Use with Caution (Masculine-leaning)

In modern Chinese names, 日 is rarely used directly because it doubles as 'day/date' and has slang connotations. Instead, use 晨 (morning), 阳 (sunshine), 旭 (rising sun), or 明!

✒️ Using “日” for a Tattoo · Caution Alone

Looks like a calendar label for 'day' rather than poetic sunshine. Use 日月 (sun and moon) or choose 阳/晨 instead.

Character Etymology & CC-CEDICT Meanings

Origin & Visual Logic: Derived from a circle with a dot in the center representing the glowing sun, squared over millennia for brush writing.

Traditional / Simplified	Pinyin	CC-CEDICT Definitions
日 / 日	rì	(bound form) sun; day; day of the month

Lexical entries derived from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Make Me a Hanzi (APL / LGPL-3.0).

Common Words & Idioms Using “日”

Chinese Word	Pinyin	English Meaning
日出	rìchū	sunrise
日月	rìyuè	sun and moon
日新	rìxīn	renewed daily

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does the Chinese character "日" (rì) have?

"日" has 4 strokes in Simplified Chinese. Its primary dictionary radical is 日, and you can animate or practice writing every stroke in order using the interactive grid on this page.

Is "日" good to use in a real Chinese name?

Rating: Use with Caution (Masculine-leaning). In modern Chinese names, 日 is rarely used directly because it doubles as 'day/date' and has slang connotations. Instead, use 晨 (morning), 阳 (sunshine), 旭 (rising sun), or 明!