Definition
The time from sunset to sunrise; the night. Opposite of 昼 (daytime).
Example
夜に星がとてもきれいに見えた。
Show translation
At night, the stars looked very beautiful.
Etymology
From Old Japanese 夜 (*yoru). The kanji 夜 is shared with Classical Chinese, depicting a person resting under a moon — a visual image of nighttime. The word has been used since the earliest Japanese written records, including the Man'yōshū (8th century).
Cultural note
夜 appears in countless Japanese set phrases and cultural touchstones: 夜桜 (yozakura, cherry blossoms at night) is a beloved seasonal tradition, and 夜市 (yoichi, night market) evokes summer festival culture. Note that 今夜 (konya, "tonight") is the natural way to say "tonight" — not ★今の夜. Also watch out for the false friend: the verb 寄る (yoru, "to drop by/stop at") is a homophone but written with a different kanji.