零れい時じ

れ

い

じ

Meanings

1

twelve o'clock; midnight; noon

Means 0:00 or twelve o'clock in time expressions. In modern 24-hour usage it most often means midnight; 午前零時 is midnight and 午後零時 can mean noon.

午ご前ぜん零れい時じに日ひ付づけが変かわる。
The date changes at midnight.
受うけ付つけは午ご後ご零れい時じから始はじまります。
Registration starts at noon.

See all 13 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

零れい時じになるfor it to turn/strike midnight (or noon)
零れい時じになったら花はな火びが始はじまります。
The fireworks will start once it turns midnight.
零れい時じを過すぎるto go past midnight (or noon)
零れい時じを過すぎても電でん車しゃはまだ動うごいていた。
The trains were still running even past midnight.
零れい時じまでにby midnight (or noon)
零れい時じまでに帰かえらないと門もんが閉しまる。
If I don't get home by midnight, the gate will be locked.
零れい時じちょうどexactly at midnight (or noon)
会かい議ぎは零れい時じちょうどに終おわった。
The meeting ended exactly at noon.

Kanji

零zero, spill, overflow
時time, hour

Related words

正しょう午ごN3
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).
真ま夜よ中なかN3
真夜中 refers loosely to the middle of the night as a stretch of time, whereas 零時 is the precise clock time 0:00.
深しん夜やN3
深夜 describes the late-night period in general, while 零時 names the exact instant of midnight.

Word family

午ご前ぜん零れい時じ
midnight; 12 a.m.
午ご後ご零れい時じ
noon; 12 PM

Written forms

零れい時じ
Standard kanji spelling, especially in formal or written time expressions.
０れい時じ
Attested numeric spelling using a full-width zero; common in schedules and timetables.
0れい時じ
Practical half-width numeric spelling, often seen in digital text; equivalent to ０時.

Etymology

Compound of 零, conventionally used here for zero, and 時, hour or time; the spelling directly reflects the idea of 'zero o'clock.'