Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 今夜 | kon'ya | [kõ̞ɰ̃ja̠] (narrow) [kõ̞ɲ̟ːa̠] (narrow) |
| 今晩 | konban | [kõ̞mbã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
| 今宵 | koyoi | [ko̞jo̞i] (narrow) |
The terms for 'tonight' refer to the period of the evening or night during the current day. They can function as adverbs meaning 'during today's evening' or as nouns referring to the nighttime of today.
What does it mean word for word?
The form 今夜 is composed of the characters for 'now' (今) and 'night' (夜). The form 今晩 is composed of the characters for 'now' (今) and 'evening' (晩).
Which one should you use?
While 今夜 (kon'ya) and 今晩 (konban) are often interchangeable, 今夜 focuses more on the night itself, whereas 今晩 focuses on the evening period.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
今宵 (koyoi) is a highly literary or poetic way to say 'tonight' and is rarely used in daily conversation.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the particle 'は' (wa) after 今夜 or 今晩 is common when setting tonight as the topic of the sentence, such as 'As for tonight, I am free.'
How do you pronounce it?
kon'ya
When do people say it?
The term 今宵 carries a poetic and romantic undertone and is used in literature or music.
Did you know?
- The word 今宵 (koyoi) is an example of jukujikun, where the characters are chosen for their meaning in Chinese but read according to a native Japanese word.
- In traditional Japanese poetry, the word 宵 (yoi) specifically refers to the early part of the night, often associated with the moon rising.
- In the word 今夜 (kon'ya), the two sounds actually merge into a single emphatic 'n' sound, making it sound more like 'konnya' in rapid speech.
Examples in context
- 今晩暇かな？Are you free tonight?This sentence shows how to use 今晩 to ask about someone's availability.Tatoeba #171215 by bunbuku, translation #243262 by CK
- 今夜会える？Can you meet tonight?This sentence uses 今夜 to ask about meeting up.Tatoeba #1465210 by bunbuku, translation #243404 by CK
- 今夜は暇です。I'm free tonight.This sentence uses 今夜 to state that one is free.Tatoeba #171122 by bunbuku, translation #243357 by CK
- 今晩何をする予定ですか？What are your plans for tonight?
- 今夜会おうね！Let's meet tonight!
- 316 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Himari and Kenta are talking on the phone about dinner.
- 陽葵 Himari健太くん、今夜空いてる？Kenta-kun, kon'ya aiteru?Kenta, are you free tonight?
- 健太 Kentaうん、空いてるよ。どうしたの？Un, aiteru yo. Dōshita no?Yeah, I'm free. What's up?
- 陽葵 Himari美味しいレストランに行きたいな。Oishii resutoran ni ikitai na.I want to go to a delicious restaurant.
- 健太 Kentaいいよ、一緒に行こう！Ii yo, issho ni ikō!Sure, let's go together!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tonight” translations and entries 今夜, 今晩, 今宵, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 今夜, 今宵, 今晩, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
