未明(みめい)

みめい
noun
predawn; before daybreak; early morning hours
time-general
1. predawn; before daybreak; early morning hours
The hours after midnight but before dawn — roughly from around 3 a.m. until first light. Common in news reports and weather forecasts to indicate when something occurred in the dark hours of early morning.
未明(みめい)に雨(あめ)が降(ふ)り始(はじ)めた。
It began to rain in the predawn hours.
事故(じこ)は今日(きょう)未明(みめい)に発生(はっせい)した。
The accident occurred in the early morning hours today.
明日(あした)の未明(みめい)から明(あ)け方(がた)にかけて、各地(かくち)で雪(ゆき)が降(ふ)る見込(みこ)みだ。
Snow is expected from the predawn hours into early morning tomorrow across many regions.

Literally 'not yet bright' — 未(み) (not yet) + 明(めい) (bright). Most often heard in news and weather reports as a precise time-window for events occurring after midnight but before sunrise.

Common collocations

Similar words

Related Words

Compare: 明(あ)け方(がた) (dawn)
Compare: 夜中(よなか) (middle of the night)
Compare: 早朝(そうちょう) (early morning)
Compare: 暁(あかつき) (daybreak)
Related: 真夜中(まよなか) (middle of the night)
Compare: 朝方(あさがた) (early morning)
general
Added 2026.5.14 12:14 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
27500/27573_mimei