真夜中(まよなか)

まよなか
noun
middle of the night; midnight
1. middle of the night; midnight
The period of time around 12 o'clock at night, or the deepest part of the night.
真夜中(まよなか)に起(お)きた。
I woke up in the middle of the night.
真夜中(まよなか)まで仕事(しごと)した。
I worked until midnight.
真夜中(まよなか)に電話(でんわ)が鳴(な)った。
The phone rang in the middle of the night.

真夜中(まよなか) refers to the middle of the night - either midnight specifically or the late night hours in general.

WORD FORMATION:
真(ま) (true/middle) + 夜中(よなか) (nighttime) = the very middle of the night

COMMON EXPRESSIONS:

  • 真夜中(まよなか)に起(お)きる: to wake up in the middle of the night
  • 真夜中(まよなか)まで: until midnight
  • 真夜中(まよなか)を過(す)ぎる: past midnight

RELATED TIME EXPRESSIONS:

  • 夜中(よなか): during the night (general)
  • 深夜(しんや): late at night (formal, often used for TV schedules)
  • 午前零時(ごぜんれいじ): exactly 12:00 AM
  • 未明(みめい): before dawn (news term)

NOTE:
Unlike 午前零時(ごぜんれいじ), 真夜中(まよなか) is flexible and can refer to any time when it feels like the "dead of night."

core
Added 2026.1.16 15:00 · Revised 2026.2.4 14:08
05000/05425_mayonaka