夜明(よあ)け

よあけ
noun
dawn, daybreak
literary
1. dawn, daybreak
The time of day when light first appears in the sky; the beginning of morning.
夜明(よあ)けに起(お)きた。
I got up at dawn.
夜明(よあ)けの空(そら)が美(うつく)しかった。
The sky at dawn was beautiful.
夜明(よあ)け前(まえ)が一番(いちばん)暗(くら)い。
It's darkest just before dawn.
A common saying meaning things are worst just before they get better
夜明(よあ)けとともに鳥(とり)が鳴(な)き始(はじ)めた。
The birds started singing with the break of dawn.
夜明けとともに = at dawn, with the break of day
登山(とざん)者(しゃ)たちは夜明(よあ)け前(まえ)に出発(しゅっぱつ)し、山頂(さんちょう)で日(ひ)の出(で)を見(み)た。
The climbers departed before dawn and saw the sunrise from the summit.
2. beginning, dawn (figurative)
The start of a new era, period, or development.
新(あたら)しい時代(じだい)の夜明(よあ)けだ。
It's the dawn of a new era.
Figurative usage
民主主義(みんしゅしゅぎ)の夜明(よあ)けを告(つ)げる出来事(できごと)だった。
It was an event that heralded the dawn of democracy.
科学(かがく)技術(ぎじゅつ)の夜明(よあ)けとも言(い)える発見(はっけん)だ。
It's a discovery that could be called the dawn of science and technology.
長(なが)い戦争(せんそう)が終(お)わり、平和(へいわ)の夜明(よあ)けがようやく訪(おとず)れた。
The long war ended, and the dawn of peace finally arrived.
あの革命(かくめい)は、古(ふる)い体制(たいせい)が崩(くず)れ、新(あたら)しい社会(しゃかい)の夜明(よあ)けとなった歴史(れきし)的(てき)な転換点(てんかんてん)だった。
That revolution was a historic turning point where the old system collapsed and became the dawn of a new society.

夜明(よあ)け refers to the time when darkness gives way to light — the transition from night to morning. It is also commonly used figuratively for the beginning of a new era or period.

Forms

夜(よ) (night) + 明(あ)け (opening, dawning) = the end of night

Common patterns

Similar words

Saying

夜明(よあ)け前(まえ)が一番(いちばん)暗(くら)い — "It's darkest before dawn." Used to encourage someone that things will improve after a difficult period.

Related Words

Synonym: 明(あ)け方(がた) (dawn (colloquial))
Related: 日(ひ)の出(で) (sunrise)
Compare: 暁(あかつき) (dawn)
Compare: 朝(あさ) (morning)
Related: 曙(あけぼの) (dawn, daybreak)
Related: 黎明(れいめい) (dawn, daybreak)
Compare: 白々明(しらじらあ)ける (to dawn)
core
Added 2026.1.13 1:05 · Revised 2026.9.4 21:29
03500/03655_yoake