真夜中
mayonaka[ma̠jo̞na̠ka̠]
The English phrase 'middle of the night' is translated into Japanese as 真夜中 (mayonaka).
真夜中 refers to the middle of the night.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 真夜中 is composed of the characters 真 (true/pure), 夜 (night) and 中 (middle/inside), meaning 'true middle of the night'.
Which one should you use?
While 真夜中 refers specifically to the dead of night (around midnight), the term 深夜 is a broader term used for any time late at night. 深夜 is often used in more formal or technical contexts, such as describing 'late-night programming'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'in the middle of the night' or 'at the middle of the night', add the particle に to 真夜中 to form 真夜中に. This is the standard way to indicate the time when an action occurs.
Did you know?
- In traditional Japanese time-keeping, the period around 真夜中 was referred to as the 'Hour of the Rat', which is the first of the twelve zodiac signs.
- The character 真 in 真夜中 acts as an intensifier, similar to how English speakers use 'dead' in the phrase 'dead of night' to emphasize the deepest part of the darkness.
- If you were to use the term 深夜 instead of 真夜中, you might sound more like a news reporter or a weather forecaster.
Examples in context
- トムは真夜中に目が覚めた。Tom woke up in the middle of the night.This sentence shows how to use 真夜中 to describe waking up at that time.Tatoeba #8899001 by bunbuku, translation #1092252 by CK
- 真夜中に電話してきたのよ。She called me in the middle of the night.This sentence demonstrates using 真夜中 to describe receiving a phone call during the night.Tatoeba #11065692 by small_snow, translation #8281482 by sundown
- ちくしょう、どこの馬鹿野郎がこんな真夜中に電話してきやがるんだ。Holy crap, who's the asshole who dares call me in the middle of the night?!This sentence shows an example of using 真夜中 in a frustrated context regarding a phone call.Tatoeba #872696 by thyc244, translation #2172 by AucaCoyan
- 彼は夜中に起きて本を読みます。He reads books in the middle of the night.
- 会議は深夜まで続きました。The meeting continued until the middle of the night.
- 昨日夜中に急な雷雨がありました。Yesterday, there was a sudden thunderstorm in the middle of the night.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two roommates are talking about a strange noise in the apartment.
- 美咲 Misaki真夜中に変な音がしたの。mayonaka ni hen na oto ga shita no.I heard a strange noise in the middle of the night.
- 陽太 Yotaえっ、本当に？e, hontou ni?Eh, really?
- 美咲 Misakiすごく怖かったんだよ。sugoku kowakatta ndayo.It was very scary.
- 陽太 Yota明日、一度確認してみよう。ashita, ichido kakunin shite miyou.Let's check it out tomorrow.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 真夜中, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
