明ける
あける · akeru · JLPT N3 · verb-ichidan
to dawn
🌅 明 = 日 sun + 月 moon: the moon hands over to the sun, and day dawns
明 means bright. 明ける means the dark ends and it gets bright, as in 夜が明ける (night breaks). The same verb starts the New Year greeting あけましておめでとう: the year has dawned. Sound hook: akeru, ah, clear sky!