午前零時(ごぜんれいじ)

A compound of 午前(ごぜん) (morning, AM) and 零時(れいじ) (zero o'clock). This is the precise, formal way to express midnight in Japanese. It is commonly used in schedules, announcements, and official contexts.

In casual speech, 夜中(よなか)の十二時(じゅうにじ) (twelve o'clock at night) or simply 真夜中(まよなか) (the middle of the night) are more natural.

Common collocations

• 午前零時(ごぜんれいじ)を回(まわ)る: to pass midnight
• 午前零時(ごぜんれいじ)ちょうど: exactly at midnight
• 午前零時(ごぜんれいじ)発(はつ): departing at midnight

Similar words

• 真夜中(まよなか): the dead of night — refers to the general time period around midnight, not a specific clock time
• 深夜(しんや): late at night — broader term for the late-night hours
• 日付(ひづけ)が変(か)わる: the date changes — another way to refer to the midnight moment