Japanese word

徹夜

Pronunciation

Romajitetsuya

Meaning

  • nounstaying up all night

Example

彼は昨夜徹夜しました。kare wa saku ya tetsu ya shi ma shi ta

He stayed up all night last night.

Illustration for 徹夜 (staying up all night)

More examples

徹夜した翌日は、昼間でも眠くなります。tetsu ya shi ta yoku jitsu wa hiru ma de mo nemu ku na ri ma su

The day after staying up all night, I get sleepy even during the day.

Core concept

Captures a whole night being spent awake rather than in sleep, whether for study, work, or other activities.

Common phrases

  • 徹夜するtetsu ya su ru

    stay up all night

  • 徹夜続きtetsu ya tsuzu ki

    a run of all-nighters

  • 徹夜明けtetsu ya a ke

    the morning after staying up all night

Similar words

夜更かしyofukashi: The habit or act of staying awake until late at night.
夜明かしyoakashi: The act of staying awake through the whole night, often in a formal or literary context.

Definition in Japanese

一晩中眠らずに過ごすこと。ichi ban jū nemu ra zu ni su go su ko to

Word origin

徹 (tetsu, "through") + 夜 (ya, "night") forms a compound meaning to pass through the night without sleep.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Japanese, 徹夜する (tetsuya suru) is the verb form, while 徹夜 (tetsuya) can stand as the noun.

Word lists with this word