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.
The early part of the evening, roughly 7-9 PM. Suggests the night has just begun and there is plenty of time ahead.
USAGE:
Often used in social contexts — especially drinking — to imply "the night is still young." The phrase まだ宵の口だ means "it's still early in the evening" (so let's keep going).
FORMATION:
宵 (evening, literary) + の + 口 (opening, beginning). Literally: "the mouth/opening of the evening."
RELATED TERMS:
- 宵: evening (literary, poetic)
- 夕方: early evening (more neutral, around sunset)
- 夜: night (general term)
- 真夜中: midnight, dead of night