Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 夜に | yoru-ni |
| 夜間に | yakan-ni |
Both 夜に and 夜間に are used to describe things happening at night. While 夜に is the standard way to refer to the time of night, 夜間に is often used to emphasize a specific period or window of time throughout the night.
What does it mean word for word?
In the phrase 夜に, the word 夜 means night and the particle に functions as a particle for a specific point in time, equivalent to 'at' in this context.
Which one should you use?
夜に refers generally to the time of night. In contrast, 夜間に refers more specifically to the nighttime hours or a duration of time during the night. Note that if you want to specify 'in the middle of the night' or 'late at night', you should use 夜中 instead of these forms.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle に is used to indicate a specific point in time. While it is standard to include it for clarity, it is often optional in casual conversation when the context of the time is already clear.
How do you pronounce it?
yoru-ni
Did you know?
- In traditional Japanese timekeeping, 'night' was not divided into hours but into 'watches' called 番, which defined different periods of the night for guards and laborers.
- While 夜 means 'night', the Japanese language has a specific word 夜食 for a meal eaten specifically 'at night', which is culturally distinct from dinner.
- In Japanese, the word for night 夜 can be read as yoru or ya. The latter is often used in poetic contexts or compound words to create a more formal or artistic atmosphere.
Examples in context
- 夜には星が見える。Stars can be seen at night.This sentence shows how to use 夜に when discussing seeing stars.Tatoeba #79740 by bunbuku, translation #271531 by CM
- 彼らは夜に働かない。They don't work at night.This sentence demonstrates the use of 夜に regarding work schedules.Tatoeba #7577153 by Tako, translation #2278293 by CK
- 夜に泳いだことある？Have you ever been swimming at night?This sentence illustrates the use of 夜に when asking about swimming.Tatoeba #8569433 by small_snow, translation #7850684 by CK
- 会議は夜に開かれます。The meeting will be held at night.
- 警察は夜間により注意を払います。The police pay extra attention at night.
- 友達と夜遊びをするのが好きです。I like going out at night with friends.
- 映画は夜に上映されます。The movie will be shown at night.
- 私は夜間勤務です。I work the night shift.
- 毎晩、深夜のお菓子を食べるのが楽しみです。I look forward to eating late-night snacks every evening.
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their study habits.
- 大翔 Hiroto大翔は、いつも夜に勉強するの？Hiroto wa, itsumo yoru ni benkyō suru no?Hiroto, do you always study at night?
- 美咲 Misakiうん、夜に集中できるからね。Un, yoru ni shūchū dekiru kara ne.Yeah, because I can concentrate at night.
- 大翔 Hiroto私は夜に勉強すると眠くなるよ。Watashi wa yoru ni benkyō suru to nemuku naru yo.I get sleepy when I study at night.
- 美咲 Misaki美咲は朝の方がいいのかな。Misaki wa asa no hō ga ii no kana.I wonder if the morning is better for you, Misaki.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “at night” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
