There are four meanings... 1. The most common one is equvivalent to "sayeth", "quoted" 子曰 = the master sayeth 2. "is called (known as) " 凡乐辞曰诗，诗声曰歌, Every musical verse is called poetry [and every] poetic sound is called a song 3.as (i.e. in the capacity of) / to take sth as / to act as / to serve as / to behave as / to become / to be / to do 一曰水，二曰火，三曰木，四曰金，五曰土 one is served as water, two as fire, three as wood, four as metal and five as earth... i.e. the five elements according to its numerical representation. For example, the days of the week is is associated with that element. 4. A Chinese last name. 5. a virtual word of no particular meaning; a filler word to make the phrase even numbered; usually translated as "is". For example, 昊天曰明、及爾出王。Great Heaven is intelligent, And is with you in all your goings. 昊天曰旦、及爾游衍 Great Heaven is clear-seeing, And is with you in your wandering and indulgences.

Hi dear Dominic, I can give you three meanings of the character 曰. I. 说，说道(say)。This is the most common meaning of 曰. e.g. “子曰” means "Confucious said" (子refers to 孔子i.e .Confucious) II. 称，叫做(call, be called)。 e.g. ①今有人有人于此，少见黑曰黑，多见黑曰白 There're people see others seldom call the word black as black, but (call black) as white more often. ②父曰太公，母曰刘媪 （父 means father, 母 means mother, the whole sentence means "father is called 太公, mother is called 刘媪"） III. It's used as an auxiliary word, and doesn't have a real meaning. e.g. 昊天曰明 Mmm... my English is bad... but I hope you can understand me...

这几个术语一般都是两个以上连用并举，既然释义，又辨析同义词，使用这几个术语时，被释词总是放在后面，相当于现代汉语的“叫”“叫做”“称作”。如 《论语·学而》：“有朋自远方来，不亦说乎?”郑 注：同门曰朋，同志曰友。”?《尔雅·释天》：“谷不熟为饥，蔬不熟为馑。”? 《尔雅·释宫》：“一达谓之道路，二达谓之歧旁，三达谓之剧旁四达谓之衢，五达谓之康，六达谓之庄，七达谓之剧骖，八达谓之崇期，九达谓之逵。? 有时，“曰”、“为”、“谓之”也单独使用，那就是一般的解释了，与一般解释不同的是，被释词是放在术语的后面。例如《诗·周南·汉广》：“之子于归，言秣其马。毛传：“六尺以上曰马。”?《诗·召南·行露》“谁谓鼠无牙?何以穿我墉?”孔颖达疏：“墙谓之墉。”? “曰”字在文言文中运用极为广泛,通常情况下可以译为“说”.此外,还可以有以下几种情形： 1﹒判断词“是”.如“又用篆章一,文曰：‘初平山人’.”（《核舟记》） 译成现代汉语是：“又刻了一枚篆文图章,图章上的文字是‘初平山人’.” 2﹒语气助词,有列举作用,可不译.如“隶而从者,崔氏二小生,曰恕己,曰奉一.”（《小石潭记》） 译成现代汉语是：“跟随一同去的有姓崔的两个小青年,（一个）是崔恕己,（一个）叫崔奉一.” 3﹒当“写”讲.如“丹书帛曰‘陈胜王’”（〈陈涉世家〉） 译成现代汉语是：“用丹沙写在帛上：‘陈胜要做王’”. 4﹒可译作“叫”、“叫做”.如“明有奇巧人曰王叔远.”（〈核舟记〉） 译成现代汉语是：“明代有一个手艺十分奇巧的人叫王叔远.”

Domonic，你都开始学习文言文了。要知道文言文对于我们中国人来说都不是那么容易学的，更不要说外国人了，所以加油哦！:) 言归正传，在文言文里，“ ～～曰 ” 就是 “ ～～说 ” 的意思。

主要指"说"的意思。孔子曰：XXXX，就是孔子说：XXXX