Japanese Conversation · Level 53
90 words
Japanese word
前夜
Pronunciation
Romajizen'ya
Meaning
- nounthe night before
Example
試験の前夜は、早く寝ます。shi ken no zen ya wa haya ku ne ma su
I go to bed early on the night before the exam.
More examples
出発の前夜に、荷物を玄関に置いておきます。shup patsu no zen ya ni ni motsu o gen kan ni o i te o ki ma su
On the night before departure, I leave my luggage by the front door.
Core concept
Marks the night immediately before a particular event, focusing on its position just ahead of that event.
Common phrases
出発の前夜shup patsu no zen ya
the night before departure
前夜からzen ya ka ra
from the night before
Similar words
前晩maeban: The evening or night that comes before a specified event.
Definition in Japanese
ある出来事の前日の夜。a ru de ki goto no zen jitsu no yoru
Word origin
前夜 (zen'ya) is a compound of 前 (zen, "before") and 夜 (ya, "night"), using Sino-Japanese readings to mean the night before an event.
Usage tips
- The English word "eve" appears in "Christmas Eve" and "on the eve of," but it can cover the day before an event, while this Japanese noun specifically points to the preceding night.