夜
night, evening
Readings
On'yomi
- ヤ
Kun'yomi
- よ
- よる
Meaning
夜 centers on the dark part of the day: night and evening, when the sun is gone and the world is quiet.
Most common words using 夜
24 of 367- 夜よるN5
night; evening
- 深夜しんやN3
late at night
- 今夜こんやN4
this evening; tonight
- 夜中よなかN3
middle of the night; dead of night
- 夜間やかんN3
night; nighttime
- 昨夜ゆうべN1
last night; yesterday evening
- 昨夜さくやN1
last night; yesterday evening
- 一夜いちや
one night; all night; overnight; one evening
- 夜明けよあけN3
dawn; daybreak
- 夜勤やきん
night duty; night shift; night work
- 真夜中まよなかN3
dead of night; midnight
- 徹夜てつやN3
staying up all night
- 夜行やこうN2
night travel; walking around at night
- 昼夜ちゅうやN1
day and night
- 夜景やけいN1
night view; night skyline; nightscape
- 前夜ぜんやN1
last night; the previous night
- 夜空よぞらN1
night sky
- 月夜つきよN1
moonlit night
- 前夜祭ぜんやさい
event held the night before another event; eve (of a festival) (e.g. Christmas Eve)
- 通夜つやN1
all-night vigil over a body; wake
- 日夜にちやN1
day and night; around the clock; always; constantly
- 夜更かしよふかしN2
staying up late; sitting up late at night; keeping late hours
- 夜更けよふけN1
late at night; small hours of the morning
- 夜学やがくN1
night school; evening school; evening class
Study
Etymology
夜 combines 亠 (a person) with 夕 (evening) and 亻 (person), suggesting a person under the evening sky. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the components consistently point to nighttime.
Meaning mnemonic
The top 亠 is like a roof, and below it a person 亻 stands under the evening 夕 sky. Picture someone at home as night falls.
Reading mnemonic
For ヤ, imagine a yak sleeping under the night sky: yak -> ヤ, and the yak rests in the evening.