昼夜

• Pinyin: zhòu yè
• Hanzi breakdown: 昼 = 尺 + 旦 (daytime); 夜 = 亠 + 亻 + 夕 (night)

Meaning

Day and night; around the clock. Refers to the full 24-hour cycle or continuous, uninterrupted activity.

Literary and formal term for the complete cycle of day and night. Used to emphasize continuous effort, non-stop work, or phenomena that occur regardless of time. More elevated than 白天黑夜.

Examples

1. 工人们昼夜不停地赶工。 The workers worked around the clock to meet the deadline.
2. 警卫昼夜守护着大门。 The guards stand watch at the gate day and night.
3. 地球自转产生昼夜交替现象。 The Earth’s rotation causes the alternation of day and night.

Usage Guide

Context: literary, news, scientific

Tone: emphatic

Do Say

• 医护人员昼夜奋战在抗疫一线。(Medical workers fight day and night on the front lines of epidemic prevention.)
• 这条生产线实行昼夜两班倒制度。(This production line operates on a day-night two-shift system.)

Don't Say

• 昼夜好 — this is not a greeting; use 你好 or specific time greetings

Origin & History

昼 (day, daytime) + 夜 (night)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal