Translation and Meaning of: 夜 - yoru

The expression 「夜」, read as "yoru" in romaji, refers to night in its broadest sense in the Japanese language. The word is often used to indicate the period after sunset and before dawn, when the sky darkens and most people rest. In Japanese culture, the night holds a special and distinct meaning, being associated with both rest and cultural and spiritual activities, such as stargazing or festivities that occur at night.

Etymologically, 「夜」 can be traced through different aspects of the Chinese characters (kanji) that have been incorporated into Japanese. The kanji 「夜」 is composed of the radical 「夕」, which even alone refers to sunset or the arrival of night, combined with the radical 「亦」, which has the connotation of repetition or continuation. This combination enhances the cyclical nature of night, being a moment that continues and repeats daily.

Moreover, the word "yoru" is not limited to merely describing it as a simple time marker. It is rich in cultural meaning. In Japanese literature, night often plays a symbolic role, serving as a metaphor for introspective or mysterious states of mind. Various traditional Japanese stories and poems use night as a backdrop for mystery, beauty, or even the revelation of the inner self.

During events and celebrations, such as the famous summer festivals, the 「夜」 transforms into a vibrant space for gathering and sharing. These nighttime festivities highlight the tension between the tranquil silence associated with rest and the pulsating energy of social activities. Thus, the night is not just a part of the day, but a space rich in possibilities and meanings both in daily life and Japanese culture.

Vocabulary

Expand your vocabulary with related words:

Synonyms and similar words

• 夕方 (Yūgata) - Late afternoon, the period that precedes the night.
• 夕暮れ (Yūgure) - Twilight, the moment when the sun sets, a transition between day and night.
• 夜間 (Yakan) - Night period, usually used in formal or technical contexts.
• 暗闇 (Kurayami) - Darkness, absence of light, often associated with night.
• 夜中 (Yonaka) - Midnight, the deepest point of the night.
• 夜更け (Yofuke) - Until dawn, late at night.
• 夜明け (Yoake) - Dawn, the moment when the day begins.

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夜

Romaji: yoru
Kana: よる
Type: noun
L: jlpt-n3, jlpt-n5

Translation / Meaning: tarde;noite

Meaning in English: evening;night

Definition: The hour of light and the hour of darkness after sunset.

Example Sentences - (夜) yoru

See below some example sentences:

点々と星が輝く夜空が美しいです。

Ten ten to hoshi ga kagayaku yozora ga utsukushii desu

A noite com estrelas brilhando pontilhadas é linda.

O céu noturno onde a estrela brilha é linda.

• 点々と - Pontilhado
• 星が - Estrelas
• 輝く - Brilhando
• 夜空が - night sky
• 美しいです - Lindo

深夜には静かな時間が流れる。

Shinya ni wa shizuka na jikan ga nagareru

Durante a madrugada

Um tempo tranquilo flui tarde da noite.

• 深夜には - à noite tardia
• 静かな - calm
• 時間が - tempo
• 流れる - flui

夜中には静かな雰囲気が漂っている。

Yonaka ni wa shizuka na fun'iki ga tadayotte iru

During the night

There is a peaceful atmosphere in the middle of the night.

• 夜中には - "midnight"
• 静かな - adjective meaning "silent"
• 雰囲気が - noun that means "atmosphere" or "environment," followed by the particle that indicates the subject of the sentence.
• 漂っている - verb that means "to float" or "to hover," conjugated in the present continuous

稲光が輝く夜空は美しいです。

Inabikari ga kagayaku yozora wa utsukushii desu

The night the lightning shine is beautiful.

The night sky where the shine shines is beautiful.

• 稲光 (inabikari) - relâmpago
• が (ga) - subject particle
• 輝く (kagayaku) - brilhar
• 夜空 (yozora) - night sky
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 美しい (utsukushii) - beautiful
• です (desu) - Verb to be/estar

星が輝く夜空は美しいです。

Hoshi ga kagayaku yozora wa utsukushii desu

The bright starry night is beautiful.

O céu noturno onde a estrela brilha é linda.

• 星が輝く - hoshi ga kagayaku- the stars shine
• 夜空 - yozora- night sky
• は - wa- Topic particle
• 美しい - utsukushii- pretty, beautiful
• です - desu- verb to be in the polite form

夜は静かです。

Yoru wa shizuka desu

The night is quiet.

The night is quiet.

• 夜 - It means "night" in Japanese.
• は - It is a topic particle indicating that the subject of the sentence is "night".
• 静か - means "quiet" or "calm" in Japanese.
• です - It is a polite way of saying "is" or "are" in Japanese.

夜具は寝る時に必要なものです。

Yagu wa neru toki ni hitsuyou na mono desu

Bedding is necessary for sleeping.

It takes hours to sleep.

• 夜具 (yagu) - night equipment
• 寝る (neru) - dormir
• 時 (toki) - hora
• に (ni) - particle indicating time
• 必要 (hitsuyou) - necessary
• な (na) - grammatical particle
• もの (mono) - thing
• です (desu) - Verb to be/estar

夜明けが近づいている。

Yoake ga chikadzuite iru

The dawn is approaching.

The dawn is approaching.

• 夜明け - amanhecer
• が - subject particle
• 近づいて - approaching
• いる - verb to be in the present
• . - Period

三日月が輝く夜空は美しいです。

Mikazuki ga kagayaku yozora wa utsukushii desu

A noite em que a lua crescente brilha é linda.

O céu noturno onde a lua crescente brilha é linda.

• 三日月 - significa "lua crescente" e é representada pelo ideograma 三日月.
• が - partícula gramatical que indica o sujeito da frase, neste caso, "lua crescente".
• 輝く - verbo que significa "brilhar" e é representado pelo ideograma 輝く.
• 夜空 - significa "céu noturno" e é representado pelos ideogramas 夜空.
• は - partícula gramatical que indica o tópico da frase, neste caso, "céu noturno".
• 美しい - adjetivo que significa "bonito" e é representado pelo ideograma 美しい.
• です - verbo auxiliar que indica a forma educada da frase.

ロマンチックな夜景が美しいです。

Romanchikku na yakei ga utsukushii desu

The romantic night landscape is beautiful.

The romantic night view is beautiful.

• ロマンチックな - Romantic (adjective meaning "romantic")
• 夜景が - Yakei ga (noun meaning "night view")
• 美しいです - Beautiful (adjective that means "beautiful" and verb that indicates "to be" in the present)