1.
early evening, early part of the night
The period shortly after sunset when the night has just begun, typically around 7-9 PM.
まだ宵の口だ。
It's still early evening.
宵の口から飲み始めた。
We started drinking from early evening.
夏の宵の口は涼しくて気持ちがいい。
Early summer evenings are cool and pleasant.
USAGE NOTE:
Often used to suggest that the night is still young and there's plenty of time left, especially in social contexts like drinking parties.
RELATED TERMS:
- 宵: evening (literary)
- 夜: night (general term)