1.
dusk, nightfall, sunset time
The time of day when the sun sets and darkness begins to fall.
日暮れまでに帰ろう。
Let's go home by sunset.
日暮れの空が美しい。
The sky at dusk is beautiful.
夏は日暮れが遅いので、長く外で遊べる。
Since sunset is late in summer, you can play outside for a long time.
Refers to the time when the sun sets and daylight fades. Emphasizes the transition from day to night, often implying a deadline — things that should be done before dark.
ETYMOLOGY:
Compound of 日 (sun/day) + 暮れ (setting, ending). Literally "the day's end."
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 日暮れまでに: by sunset/nightfall
- 日暮れの空: the sky at dusk
- 日暮れが早い/遅い: sunset is early/late (seasonal)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 夕暮れ: evening, twilight (very close, slightly more poetic and literary)
- 日没: sunset (technical/formal, as in weather reports)
- 夕方: evening (more everyday, refers to the time period)
- 黄昏: dusk, twilight (literary)