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正午 (しょうご, shougo) Japanese meaning: noon | Kotomora

正しょう午ご

しょ

う

ご

Common word›JLPTN3›Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

Refers to exactly 12:00 PM or the middle of the day. Often used in schedules, weather reports, and formal contexts.

会かい議ぎは正しょう午ごから始はじまります

。

The meeting starts at noon.

正しょう午ごのニュースを見みましょう。

Let's watch the midday news.

Usage patterns

正しょう午ごに〈動どう詞し〉to do something at noon
会かい議ぎは正しょう午ごに始はじまった。
The meeting started at noon.
正しょう午ごを過すぎるto pass noon
正しょう午ごを過すぎても彼かれは起おきてこなかった。
Even after noon had passed, he still hadn't gotten up.
正しょう午ご前ぜん後ごaround noon
正しょう午ご前ぜん後ごに到とう着ちゃくする予よ定ていです。
We plan to arrive around noon.

Kanji

正correct, justice, righteous
午noon, sign of the horse, 11AM-1PM

Related words

昼ひるN5
昼 broadly means daytime or midday hours, while 正午 pinpoints the exact moment of 12:00 PM.
真ま昼ひる
真昼 poetically evokes the brightness of midday, whereas 正午 is the neutral, precise term for 12:00 PM.
十じゅう二に時じ
十二時 literally states the clock time 12:00, while 正午 is the conventional word specifically for noon.
午ご後ご零れい時じ
午後零時 is a formal, official way of writing noon on schedules, while 正午 is the everyday equivalent.
零れい時じ
正午 specifically and unambiguously means noon, while 零時 can mean either midnight or noon depending on context (午前零時/午後零時).

Opposites

真ま夜よ中なかN3
真夜中 means midnight, the exact opposite point of the day from 正午, which means noon.

Don't confuse with

午ご後ごN5
午後 means the afternoon period after noon, while 正午 refers only to the single moment of 12:00 PM; learners often mix them up because both contain 午.
午うま
正午 means 'noon' and contains the same kanji as 午, but it is read しょうご, not うま, so learners should not assume the same pronunciation.

Word family

真しん正しょう午ご
apparent noon; true noon
視し正しょう午ご
apparent noon; true noon

Etymology

Compound of 正 (しょう, 'correct' or 'exact') and 午 (ご, 'noon' or 'horse' in the Chinese zodiac, associated with midday). The combination literally means 'exact noon'.