Japanese word

夜

Pronunciation

Romajiyoru

Meaning

  • adverbat night
  • nounnight

Example

夜、勉強します。yoru ben kyō shi ma su

I study at night.

Illustration for 夜 (at night)

More examples

夜は星が見えます。yoru wa hoshi ga mi e ma su

You can see stars at night.

夜に友達と電話します。yoru ni tomo dachi to den wa shi ma su

I call my friend at night.

Core concept

夜 (yoru) marks the time after sunset and before the next morning, covering both evening and nighttime.

Common phrases

  • 夜にyoru ni

    at night

  • 夜遅くyoru oso ku

    late at night

Similar words

晩ban: The later part of the day, including the evening and sometimes the night.
夜間yakan: The hours when it is dark, from evening until morning.
夜中yonaka: A time well into the night, often when most people are asleep.

Definition in Japanese

日が暮れてから、明け方までの時間に。hi ga ku re te ka ra a ke gata ma de no ji kan ni

Word origin

夜 (yoru) is a native Japanese word, and the Chinese character 夜 (yoru, "night") was adopted to represent its meaning in writing.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, 夜 (yoru) can refer to the period after dinner as well as the later hours before sleep.

Other meanings

  • eveningnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word