夜晚
je⁶ maan⁵
The Cantonese word for "night" is 夜晚 (je⁶ maan⁵).
夜晚 refers to the general period between sunset and sunrise. It is often used as a time adverbial to describe things that happen during the night, much like the English phrase "at night".
Meaning: period between sunset and sunrise (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 夜晚 is composed of 夜 (night) and 晚 (evening/late).
Which one should you use?
While 夜晚 refers to the general period of night, 半夜 (bun3 je6) specifically refers to the middle of the night or midnight.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the southern region of Guangdong Province, the colloquial form 晡晚 is used to say night.
How do you pronounce it?
je⁶ maan⁵
Did you know?
- The Cantonese verb for staying up late is 熬夜, where the first character 熬 means 'to simmer' or 'to stew'. This implies that surviving a sleepless night is a slow and grueling process.
- Historically, Cantonese speakers divided the night into 'watches' called 更. A night watchman would signal the passing of these time blocks by striking a gong or drum.
- The character 夜 (night) is also used in the word 夜宵 (ye6 siu1), which refers to 'night snacks' or late-night food, a huge part of Cantonese food culture.
Examples in context
- 呢度夜晚好靜。It is quiet here at night.This example shows how to describe the atmosphere at night using 夜晚.Tatoeba #415931 by nickyeow, translation #61610 by CC
- 我夜晚瞓唔著覺。I can't sleep at night.This example shows how to use 夜晚 to describe a recurring occurrence at night.Tatoeba #5777478 by nickyeow, translation #318679 by CK
- 呢度附近安唔安全㗎？夜晚有無燈㗎？Is this community safe? Are there lighting installations for the night?This example uses 夜晚 to inquire about lighting and safety conditions.Tatoeba #12086688 by thesilhouette, translation #7768563 by sharris123
- 今晚想同你食晚餐，一齊睇場電影啦！Tonight, let's have dinner together and watch a movie!
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ka Yan and Ka Ming are talking about their schedules.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan你夜晚通常做緊咩？nei6 ye6 maan5 tung1 coeng2 zou6 gan2 me1?What do you usually do at night?
- 家明 Ka Ming我夜晚鍾意睇書。ngo5 ye6 maan5 zung1 ji3 tai2 syu1.I like reading books at night.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan夜晚睇書好舒服。ye6 maan5 tai2 syu1 hou2 syu1 fuk6.Reading books at night is very relaxing.
- 家明 Ka Ming係，因為夜晚好靜。hai6, jan1 wai6 ye6 maan5 hou2 zing6.Yes, because it is very quiet at night.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “night” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
