今朝
けさ · kesa · JLPT N5 · noun
morning
🌅 今朝 = now (今) + morning (朝); read kesa, not kon-asa
The kanji spell it out: 今 means now, 朝 means morning. The reading kesa is irregular: an old word ke meaning this, plus asa (morning) shortened to sa. Ke-sa = this morn.
朝 — 十 + 日 + 十 + 月 (sun rising among grass, moon fading)
Originally a pictograph showing the sun (日) rising among grass or trees with the moon (月) still visible, depicting dawn. The core meaning 'morning' (zhāo) was extended to 'dynasty' or 'court audience' (cháo), since officials gathered before the ruler at daybreak.