noun, adverb
Refers to the time from sunset to bedtime. Often used in compounds and time expressions.
今晩は何をしますか。
What will you do this evening?
晩ご飯を食べましょう。
Let's eat dinner.
noun
Abbreviation of 晩飯 (ばんめし). Casual, often used in compounds or set phrases.
See also: 晩飯 (ばんめし)
晩はまだですか。
Is dinner not ready yet?
counter
counter for nights
Used to count nights, especially in contexts like stays or events.
一晩中起きていた。
I stayed up all night.
夜 is the general word for night, while 晩 specifically refers to the evening or early night, often with a nuance of the time after sunset until bedtime.
夕方 means late afternoon to early evening, whereas 晩 covers a slightly later period, closer to night.
The kanji 晩 combines 日 (sun/day) and 免 (phonetic component), originally meaning 'late in the day'. The reading ばん is the on'yomi.