晚间

• Pinyin: wǎn jiān
• Hanzi breakdown: 晚 = 日 (sun) + 免 (phonetic); 间 = 门 (gate) + 日 (sun)

Meaning

Evening; nighttime. The period from early evening through to late night.

A slightly more formal or literary synonym for 晚上. Often used in broadcast media, schedules, and formal writing to refer to evening programming, events, or activities. Less conversational than 晚上.

Examples

1. 晚间新闻播报了多条国内外重大突发事件。 The evening news reported on several major breaking events both at home and abroad.
2. 他习惯在晚间阅读，这个习惯已经保持了二十多年。 He has a habit of reading in the evening — a habit he has maintained for over twenty years.
3. 公司安排了一场晚间酒会，欢迎来访的合作伙伴。 The company arranged an evening cocktail reception to welcome the visiting business partners.

Usage Guide

Context: media, events, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 晚间气温将下降至零度以下，请注意保暖。(Evening temperatures will drop below zero — please keep warm.)
• 这档晚间节目收视率一直居高不下。(This evening programme has consistently maintained high viewership ratings.)

Don't Say

• 在口语中用晚间替代晚上显得过于正式 — in casual conversation use 晚上; 晚间 suits announcements, news, and formal schedules

Origin & History

Compound of 晚 (evening, late) and 间 (period of time, interval). Literally 'the evening period.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal