Translation guide
A curfew is a rule requiring people to be indoors or off the streets by a certain time, or the time itself. In Japanese, different words are used depending on whether it's a legal/public order, a family rule, or the time period.
門限は何時？
What time is your curfew?
市は夜間外出禁止令を出した。
The city imposed a curfew.
To refer to an official order restricting movement during certain hours, often for public safety or emergencies.
Literally 'nighttime going-out prohibition order'. This is the standard term for an official curfew imposed by authorities, such as during a state of emergency or military rule.
政府は夜間外出禁止令を出した。
The government issued a curfew.
Martial law. A curfew is often part of martial law, but this term implies military control over civilian life, not just a curfew.
To talk about the specific time a person must be back, often used in family or school contexts.
To refer to laws prohibiting minors from being in public places during late-night hours.
Literally 'restriction on youth nighttime going out'. This is the standard term for legal curfews targeting minors, often discussed in the context of local ordinances.
To describe a situation where people are asked or ordered to stay home, not necessarily only at night.
門限 is for personal rules (family, dorm), while 夜間外出禁止令 is for official government orders. Using 門限 for a legal curfew would sound strange, and using 夜間外出禁止令 for a teenager's curfew would be overly dramatic.
娘の門限は10時です。
My daughter's curfew is 10 o'clock.
The curfew is from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
A more general 'going-out prohibition order', which can apply to any time of day. Often used in news reports.
市は感染拡大を防ぐため外出禁止令を検討している。
The city is considering a curfew to prevent the spread of infection.
戒厳令下では夜間外出が禁止された。
Under martial law, going out at night was prohibited.
Literally 'gate time'. This is the most common word for a personal curfew, such as one set by parents, a school dormitory, or a boarding house. It refers to the time by which you must be home.
うちの門限は夜10時だ。
My curfew is 10 p.m.
門限に遅れそう！
I'm going to be late for curfew!
Literally 'time to return home'. A more neutral term that can be used in rules or schedules, but less idiomatic than 門限 for a strict curfew.
寮の帰宅時間は午後11時です。
The dorm curfew is 11 p.m.
There is a curfew for minors in this area.
Literally 'late-night loitering'. This term is often used in legal contexts regarding minors being out late without a valid reason. It's not 'curfew' itself, but the act that curfews aim to prevent.
深夜徘徊で補導された。
He was taken into custody for violating curfew (late-night loitering).
During the state of emergency, there is a request to refrain from going out (a de facto curfew).
The English loanword 'lockdown'. Often used in news to describe strict stay-at-home orders in other countries, which may include curfews. In Japan, true lockdowns were rare, so this word carries a foreign connotation.
海外ではロックダウンで夜間外出禁止令が出ている。
Overseas, lockdowns include curfews.
The military declared a curfew.
The direct loanword カーフュー exists but is rarely used and may not be understood. Stick to the Japanese terms above.