Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 暗暝 | ànmíng | ||
| 夜晚 | yèwǎn | /jɛ⁵¹ wän²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /iə⁴⁴ væ̃⁴⁴/ (Mandarin, Dungan, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 夜 | yè | /jɛ⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /iɛ²¹³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 宵 | xiāo | /ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /ɕiau²¹/ (Mandarin, Xi'an, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 暗暝 | àm-mê, àm-mî | /am²¹⁻⁴² mi²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Taipei, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Anxi, Yongchun) /am⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ mi²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Taipei, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Anxi, Yongchun) |
Hokkien |
| 暗頭 / 暗头 | àm-thâu | Hokkien | |
| 暝時 / 暝时 | mê-sî, mî-sî | Hokkien | |
| 暗時 / 暗时 | àm-sî | Hokkien |
In Chinese, several terms can represent the period between sunset and sunrise. The most common and standard way to say 'night' is 晚上 (wǎnshàng). The character 宵 (xiāo) is typically used in formal or specific compounds regarding the duration of the night, such as staying up all night long. For much more poetic or formal contexts, one might use 夜晚 (yèwǎn).
What does it mean word for word?
In Hokkien, the term 暗暝 (àm-mê) is a compound meaning 'dark night', combining the words for 'dark' (暗) and 'night' (暝).
Which one should you use?
In Mandarin, the single character 夜 (yè) is often used as a bound morpheme within other compounds, such as in the phrase for 'staying up late' or 'night shift', while 夜晚 (yèwǎn) serves as a more complete noun for the period of night. While 晚上 (wǎnshàng) is the standard everyday term, 夜晚 (yèwǎn) is a slightly more formal and poetic alternative.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term 夜晚 (yèwǎn) is a standard, slightly more formal way to refer to the time of night compared to the single character 夜 (yè). The character 宵 (xiāo) is generally used in more formal or specific compound words.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Dungan language, the specific term for night is еван (iəvan). In Hokkien, several forms exist including 暗暝 (àm-mê, àm-mî), 暗頭 / 暗头 (àm-thâu), 暝時 / 暝时 (mê-sî, mî-sî) and 暗時 / 暗时 (àm-sî).
How do you pronounce it?
àm-mê, àm-mî: /ɔŋ³³ maŋ³³/
When do people say it?
To bid someone farewell in the evening among friends or family, you can use the informal 晚安 (wǎn'ān) to say 'goodnight'. In casual conversation, you might also say 睡个好觉 (shuì gè hǎo jiào) to mean 'have a good sleep' or 'sweet dreams'.
Did you know?
- The Hokkien term 暗頭 (àm-thâu) literally translates to 'dark head', using the word for 'head' to mark the beginning of the night.
- A common way to wish someone a good night is 晚安 (wǎn'ān), which literally means 'late peace'.
- The word 宵 (xiāo) is used in the phrase 除夕 (chúxī) to refer to the final 'night' of the lunar year before the New Year begins.
Examples in context
- 他通宵备考。He spent all night cramming for the test.This example shows the use of 宵 to indicate staying up all night.Tatoeba #1749219 by sadhen, translation #293841 by CK
- 我又熬夜了。I stayed up all night again.This example demonstrates how 夜 is used to describe staying up late.Tatoeba #6069406 by xjjAstrus, translation #6106238 by Sethlang
- 湯姆上夜班。Tom is working the night shift.This example illustrates the use of 夜 in the context of a night shift.Tatoeba #6119487 by verdastelo9604, translation #5853796 by CK
- 我要睡觉了I'm going to sleep
- 晚安，李！Goodnight, Li!
- 晚安，夏！Goodnight, Xia!
- 106 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Xiaowen and Zhiqiang are discussing their plans for the evening.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen志强，暗暝你有空吗？Zhiqiang, àm-mîng lí ū khàng?Zhiqiang, are you free tonight?
- 志强 Zhiqiang我有空，想做什么？Góa ū khàng, siáng-beh chò siá-mih?I am free, what do you want to do?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我们暗暝去逛逛吧。Gún àm-mîng khì kuàng-kuàng pa.Let's go for a stroll tonight.
- 志强 Zhiqiang好，那就这么决定了。Hó, ná-tok chia̍h-í-mā kuè-tīng liáu.Okay, it's settled then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “night” translations and entries 暗暝, 夜晚, 夜, 宵, 暗暝, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
