夜间

• Pinyin: yè jiān
• Hanzi breakdown: 夜 = 亠 + 亻 + 夕 (evening), night; 间 = 门 (door) + 日 (sun), between/during

Meaning

Nighttime; during the night. The period of darkness between sunset and sunrise.

A formal term for nighttime, often used in official contexts, regulations, or written language. More formal than 晚上 or 夜里. Common in compounds like 夜间工作 (night work), 夜间飞行 (night flight), 夜间值班 (night shift duty).

Examples

1. 这条路夜间禁止大型货车通行。 Large trucks are prohibited from using this road at night.
2. 夜间气温会降到零下五度左右。 The nighttime temperature will drop to around minus five degrees.
3. 医院需要有医生夜间值班以应对紧急情况。 Hospitals need doctors on night duty to handle emergencies.

Usage Guide

Context: regulations, weather, schedules

Tone: formal

Do Say

• 夜间行车要注意安全。(Be careful when driving at night.)
• 夜间航班票价更便宜。(Night flights are cheaper.)

Don't Say

• 夜间我睡觉了 (Too formal for casual speech — use 晚上我睡觉了)

Origin & History

Compound of 夜 (night) and 间 (during, between). Indicates the period during nighttime.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal