Japanese word

零時

Pronunciation

Romajireiji

Meaning

  • nounmidnight

Example

零時に電車が出ます。rei ji ni den sha ga de ma su

The train leaves at midnight.

Illustration for 零時 (midnight)

More examples

零時を過ぎても、弟は宿題を続けていました。rei ji o su gi te mo otōto wa shuku dai o tsuzu ke te i ma shi ta

Even after midnight, my younger brother kept doing his homework.

Core concept

Presents midnight as the zero point from which the hours of a new day are counted.

Common phrases

  • 零時にrei ji ni

    at midnight

  • 零時までrei ji ma de

    until midnight

  • 零時を過ぎるrei ji o su gi ru

    pass midnight

Similar words

真夜中mayonaka: The middle of the night, commonly referring to the time around midnight.
正子masako: A formal term for the exact middle of the night.

Definition in Japanese

新しい一日が始まる時刻で、午前十二時に当たる時刻。atara shi i ichi nichi ga haji ma ru ji koku de go zen jū ni ji ni a ta ru ji koku

Word origin

The word 零時 (reiji) joins 零 (rei, "zero") with 時 (ji, "time" or "hour"), following the usual Sino-Japanese pattern of placing the number before the time unit.

Usage tips

  • Because 零時 (reiji) uses the number zero, it fits naturally in 24-hour schedules and helps distinguish midnight from noon, 正午 (shōgo).

Opposites

Word lists with this word