Nuance & Usage
夜 covers the evening and nighttime hours. It can also be read as や (ya) in compounds: 夜景 (yakei — night view), 夜行バス (yakou basu — overnight bus), 夜中 (yonaka — middle of the night). Common expressions: 夜ごはん (yorugohan — dinner, casual), 晩ごはん (bangohan — dinner, slightly more standard), 夜遅く (yoru osoku — late at night). The phrase 今夜 (kon'ya — tonight) is used for plans that evening.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse 夜 (yoru — night) with 晩 (ban — evening). While largely overlapping, 晩 tends to refer to the early evening hours and is often used in 晩ごはん (dinner). 夜 covers a broader time range into the late hours. Also, for "good night," Japanese uses おやすみなさい (oyasuminasai), which literally means "please rest" — it's said when going to bed, not as a general evening greeting.
Example Sentences (3)
夜は何をしていますか？
よるはなにをしていますか？
What do you do at night?
今夜は友達と食事をします。
こんやはともだちとしょくじをします。
I'm having dinner with a friend tonight.
夜遅くまで勉強しました。
よるおそくまでべんきょうしました。
I studied until late at night.
Quick Quiz
Quick Quiz
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