夜更かしする
yofukashi suru
To stay up late in Japanese is to say 夜更かしする (yofukashi suru).
夜更かしする refers to the act of staying up late. It is slightly less formal than the term 徹夜する, which typically implies staying up all night through the night.
Meaning: Translations (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The noun part of the phrase, 夜更かし (yofukashi), is composed of 夜 (night) and 更 (to become late or deepen), literally meaning 'the deepening of the night'.
Which one should you use?
While 夜更かしする is the standard form, 夜ふかしする is a casual variant using hiragana for the second part of the word.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The dictionary form 夜更かしする is used in casual conversation or as a plain statement of fact. The variant 夜ふかしする is considered informal.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can use the word as a noun on its own, 夜更かし (yofukashi), to mean the act of staying up late without the verb する. To express that you stayed up late in the past, change the verb する to the past tense した, resulting in 夜更かしした.
How do you pronounce it?
yofukashi suru
Did you know?
- If you are a 'night owl' in Japan, you would describe yourself as being of the 夜型 (yorugata) 'night type' rather than using a phrase for an animal.
- In Japanese pop culture, such as song titles or anime themes, the term 夜更かし is often used to romanticize the quiet, lonely atmosphere of the early morning hours.
- Depending on the context, 夜更かし can imply a sense of guilt or indulgence, whereas 徹夜 can sometimes be worn as a 'badge of honor' to show how hard someone worked.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their sleep habits at a cafe.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔君はよく夜更かしするの？Hiroto-kun wa yoku yofukashi suru no?Hiroto, do you stay up late often?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、ゲームで夜更かししちゃうよ。Un, geemu de yofukashi shichau yo.Yeah, I end up staying up late playing games.
- 陽葵 Himari寝不足にならないか心配だよ。Nebusoku ni naranai ka shinpai da yo.I'm worried you'll lack sleep.
- 大翔 Hiroto大丈夫、たまにすることだから。Daijoubu, tama ni suru koto dakara.It's okay, it's only something I do occasionally.
