Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Get the Kotomora apps for iOS and Android.

Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides About Support Privacy

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

一晩 (ひとばん, hitoban) Japanese meaning: one night | Kotomora

一ひと晩ばん

ひ

と

ば

ん

Meanings

1

one night; one evening

Refers to a single night or evening, often used when counting or specifying a duration.

一ひと晩ばんだけホテルに泊とまった。

I stayed at a hotel for just one night.

一ひと晩ばん中じゅう、雨あめが降ふっていた。

It rained all night long.

2

all night; overnight

Emphasizes the entire night or something happening through the night; often used with 中 or in contexts of staying up or leaving something overnight.

一ひと晩ばん考かんがえてから返へん事じをします。
I'll give you my answer after thinking about it overnight.
彼かれは一ひと晩ばん中じゅう起おきていた。
He stayed up all night.

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉に一ひと晩ばん泊とまるto stay overnight at a place
友とも達だちの家いえに一ひと晩ばん泊とまった。
I stayed overnight at my friend's house.
一ひと晩ばん〈物もの〉を置おくto leave something to sit overnight
生き地じを一ひと晩ばん冷れい蔵ぞう庫こに置おいた。
I left the dough in the fridge overnight.
一ひと晩ばんで〈事こと〉が終おわるfor something to be finished within a single night
この作さ業ぎょうは一ひと晩ばんで終おわる。
This task can be finished in one night.
一ひと晩ばん考かんがえるto think something over for a night before deciding
返へん事じは一ひと晩ばん考かんがえてから伝つたえます。
I'll think it over for a night before giving my answer.

Grammar

一人ひとり・二に本ほん・三さん冊さつNumbers and countersN5

Kanji

一one, one radical (no.1)
晩nightfall, night

Related words

一いち夜や sense 1
一晩 is the everyday, neutral word for a night, while 一夜 carries a more literary or dramatic tone, as seen in set phrases like 一夜漬け.
夜よ通どおし sense 2
一晩 simply names one night as a unit of time, whereas 夜通し is an adverb meaning 'all through the night', stressing continuous, unbroken action.
一いっ泊ぱく sense 1
一晩 is a general term for a night, while 一泊 specifically refers to one night's stay at a hotel or other lodging.

Don't confuse with

一ひと晩ばん中じゅう
一晩 just means 'one night' (a duration or occasion), while 一晩中 specifically means 'throughout the whole night'.

Word family

一ひと晩ばん中じゅう
all night long; all through the night
丸まる一ひと晩ばん
whole night; all night

Built from

一ひと+晩ばん

Written forms

一ひと晩ばん
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency news and common usage.
ひと晩ばん
Mixed kana-kanji spelling, sometimes used for readability or emphasis.

Etymology

Compound of 一 (ひと, 'one') and 晩 (ばん, 'night, evening'). The reading ひとばん follows the native Japanese counting system.