Translation guide
A person employed to guard a building or area at night. In Japanese, this role is often expressed with compound words or descriptive phrases, and the specific term depends on the context (e.g., security guard, night patrol, historical watchman).
A person employed to guard a building, construction site, or facility during nighttime hours.
General term for night watchman or night guard. Commonly used for security personnel who patrol or monitor premises at night.
He works as a night watchman for the company.
More formal and specific: 'nighttime security guard'. Often used in official contexts or job titles.
We are hiring night security guards.
Descriptive phrase: 'security guard at night'. Natural in conversation when the context is clear.
The night watchman is patrolling.
A person who patrolled streets or neighborhoods at night in pre-modern times, often calling out the time or watching for fires.
Traditional night watchman, especially in the Edo period. Also refers to the act of night watching.
In the Edo period, night watchmen patrolled the town.
Specifically a fire watchman, often stationed in a tower to look out for fires at night. Can be used for historical or traditional contexts.
Night patrol or night watchman, often used for neighborhood watch or historical contexts. Can also refer to the act of patrolling.
A person who stays overnight at a site to guard it, often with a makeshift sleeping arrangement.
夜警 is a more general and common term for a night watchman, while 夜間警備員 is more formal and specific to security guard roles. In everyday conversation, 夜警 is often sufficient.
Avoid directly translating 'night watchman' as 夜の見張り人 (yoru no miharibito). While understandable, it sounds unnatural and is not a standard term.
火の番が火事を見つけて鐘を鳴らした。
The night watchman spotted a fire and rang the bell.
夜回りが拍子木を打ちながら歩いていた。
The night watchman walked around clapping wooden clappers.
The night watchman is standing at the entrance.