朝方(あさがた)

あさがた
noun
early morning; toward morning
time-general
1. early morning; toward morning; the small hours before dawn
Refers to the time period in the very early morning, typically between about 3 AM and sunrise. Often used when describing events that happen in the late night transitioning into morning.
朝方(あさがた)まで起(お)きていた。
I was up until early morning.
朝方(あさがた)に急(きゅう)に気温(きおん)が下(さ)がった。
The temperature dropped suddenly in the early morning.
昨日(きのう)は朝方(あさがた)まで友達(ともだち)と話(はな)し込(こ)んでしまい、寝不足(ねぶそく)で一日(いちにち)辛(つら)かった。
Yesterday I ended up talking with friends until early morning, and the lack of sleep made the whole day tough.

Refers to the period of very early morning, roughly from around 3 AM to sunrise. It emphasizes the transitional time from night to morning, rather than the morning after waking up.

Common collocations

  • 朝方(あさがた)に: in the early morning
  • 朝方(あさがた)まで: until early morning
  • 朝方(あさがた)から: from early morning

Similar words

  • 朝型(あさがた): morning person — a lifestyle type, not a time of day (same reading but different kanji)
  • 早朝(そうちょう): early morning — more formal, used in news and official contexts
  • 明(あ)け方(がた): dawn, daybreak — more specifically the time just as the sky starts to brighten
  • 未明(みめい): before dawn — formal/news usage, typically for events occurring in the predawn hours

Related Words

Homophone: 朝型(あさがた) (morning person)
Compare: 早朝(そうちょう) (early morning)
Compare: 明(あ)け方(がた) (dawn, daybreak)
Compare: 未明(みめい) (before dawn)
general
Added 2026.4.2 11:45 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
21000/21392_asagata