Translation guide
The warm, reddish light in the sky after sunset or before sunrise, often used poetically in Japanese.
The reddish light in the western sky after the sun has set.
The most common word for the red glow of the evening sky after sunset. Used in everyday conversation and writing.
The reddish light in the eastern sky before sunrise.
The soft, warm light during twilight, not necessarily red.
Literally 'light of dusk', a straightforward way to describe the evening glow without a specific poetic term.
夕暮れの光が部屋に差し込んでいた。
The evening glow was streaming into the room.
夕焼け is the everyday word for the red evening sky. 夕映え is more poetic, focusing on the reflected light. 残照 specifically means the lingering light after sunset, often used in written descriptions.
When talking about a beautiful sunset, 夕焼け is the safest and most natural choice. You can say 夕焼けがきれい (the evening glow is beautiful) or 夕焼け空 (evening glow sky).
今日の夕焼けはとてもきれいだった。
The evening glow was really beautiful today.
夕焼けが空を赤く染めている。
The evening glow is dyeing the sky red.
A more literary or poetic term for the glow of the sunset, emphasizing the reflection of light on clouds or landscape.
山々が夕映えに照らされていた。
The mountains were illuminated by the evening glow.
Refers specifically to the lingering light after sunset, often used in literary or descriptive writing.
西の空に残照が消えていった。
The afterglow faded in the western sky.
The morning equivalent of 夕焼け, referring to the red glow at dawn.
朝焼けが東の空を染めていた。
The morning glow was coloring the eastern sky.
A poetic term for the morning glow, similar to 夕映え but for sunrise.
朝映えの美しさに息をのんだ。
I gasped at the beauty of the morning glow.
A more literary phrase using 黄昏 (twilight), evoking a nostalgic or melancholic atmosphere.
黄昏の光が街を包んでいた。
The twilight glow enveloped the town.