夕ゆう日ひ

also: せきじつ

ゆ

う

ひ

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun

evening sun; setting sun

Refers to the sun as it appears in the evening, especially when it is low in the sky or setting. Often used in poetic or scenic descriptions. Contrasts with 朝日 (morning sun).

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉が沈しずむfor the sun to set
夕ゆう日ひが海うみに沈しずんでいく。
The setting sun is sinking into the sea.
夕ゆう日ひを見みるto watch the sunset
二人ふたりは丘おかの上うえで夕ゆう日ひを見みた。
The two of them watched the sunset from the top of the hill.
夕ゆう日ひに染そまるto be dyed in the colors of the sunset
空そら一いち面めんが夕ゆう日ひに染そまっていた。
The whole sky was dyed with the colors of the sunset.
夕ゆう日ひが輝かがやくfor the setting sun to shine brightly
水みな面もに夕ゆう日ひが輝かがやいていた。
The setting sun was glimmering on the water's surface.

Kanji

夕evening
日day, sun, Japan
陽sunshine, yang principle, positive

Related words

落らく日じつ
落日 is a more literary word for the setting sun, often used in written or poetic contexts, whereas 夕日 is the everyday term.
入いり日ひ
入り日 is a poetic, slightly old-fashioned synonym for 夕日, both meaning the setting sun.
西にし日びN1
夕日 is the poetic image of the setting sun itself, while 西日 focuses on the harsh, glaring light that streams into west-facing rooms in the late afternoon.
斜しゃ陽よう
夕日 is the common, everyday word for the setting sun, while 斜陽 is a more literary term often tinged with a sense of decline or the end of an era.
日ひの入いりN2
夕日 refers to the evening sun itself (its color, its light), whereas 日の入り refers to the event or time of the sun setting.

Opposites

朝あさ日ひN1
夕日 is the evening or setting sun, while 朝日 is the morning sun as it rises.

Don't confuse with

夕ゆう焼やけN2
夕焼け refers to the reddish glow spreading across the sky at sunset, whereas 夕日 refers to the setting sun itself.

Built from

夕ゆう+日ひ

Written forms

夕日Usage60%
- ゆうひ
  Standard kanji spelling; high frequency in news and general use.
- せきじつ
  Rare on-reading; mostly found in literary or formal contexts.
夕

Etymology

Formed from 夕（ゆう）, “evening,” and 日（ひ）, “sun.” The reading remains ゆうひ without sequential voicing.

ゆう

陽ひ

Usage40%

Alternate kanji spelling using 陽 (sunshine); less common than 夕日 but still encountered.

せきじつ