明(あ)け方(がた)

あけがた
noun
dawn; daybreak
time-general
1. dawn; daybreak
the time of day when light first appears in the sky before sunrise
明(あ)け方(がた)に目(め)が覚(さ)めた。
I woke up at dawn.
明(あ)け方(がた)の空(そら)がとても美(うつく)しかった。
The sky at dawn was very beautiful.
彼(かれ)は明(あ)け方(がた)まで仕事(しごと)をしていた。
He was working until dawn.

Time of day

明(あ)け方(がた) refers specifically to the period just before sunrise when the sky begins to lighten, typically between 4:00-6:00 AM depending on the season.

Related time words

Forms

明(あ)ける (to dawn) + 方(がた) (time period suffix) → the time when it dawns

Related Words

Synonym: 夜明(よあ)け (dawn (slightly literary))
Related: 日(ひ)の出(で) (sunrise)
Related: 早朝(そうちょう) (early morning)
Related: 朝方(あさがた) (toward morning)
Related: 払暁(ふつぎょう) (dawn, daybreak)
Related: 暁(あかつき) (dawn, daybreak)
Related: 週明(しゅうあ)け (beginning of the week)
Compare: 薄明(はくめい) (twilight)
Compare: 白々明(しらじらあ)ける (to dawn)
Compare: 未明(みめい) (predawn)
general
Added 2026.1.26 22:58 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
17500/17595_akegata