Japanese word

昨夜

Pronunciation

Romajisakuya

Meaning

  • nounlast night

Example

昨夜は早く寝ました。saku ya wa haya ku ne ma shi ta

I went to bed early last night.

Illustration for 昨夜 (last night)

More examples

昨夜は友達と電話で話しました。saku ya wa tomo dachi to den wa de hana shi ma shi ta

I talked with a friend on the phone last night.

Core concept

Places the speaker in the night immediately before the present day, viewed as a completed time period.

Common phrases

  • 昨夜遅くsaku ya oso ku

    late last night

  • 昨夜の雨saku ya no ame

    last night's rain

Similar words

ゆうべyūbe: A familiar word for the night immediately before the present day.

Definition in Japanese

今日の前日の夜。kyō no zen jitsu no yoru

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese compound 昨夜 (sakuya, "last night") combines 昨 (saku, "previous") and 夜 (ya, "night").

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, ゆうべ (yūbe) is often more natural than 昨夜 (sakuya), which can sound more formal or written.

Word lists with this word