徹夜

• Reading: てつや
• Romaji: tetsuya
• Kanji breakdown: 徹 (tetsu) — penetrate, go through; 夜 (ya) — night
• Pronunciation: /te.tsɯ.ja/

Meaning

Staying up all night; an all-nighter; a sleepless night.

A noun that also functions as a suru verb (徹夜する, to stay up all night). Very common among students and workers: 徹夜で勉強する (study all night), 徹夜明け (the morning after an all-nighter). Can also be used as a no-adjective: 徹夜の作業 (all-night work). Carries a somewhat casual, relatable tone — almost everyone has experienced it.

Examples

1. 試験前に徹夜で勉強した。 I pulled an all-nighter studying before the exam.
2. 徹夜明けで頭がぼんやりしている。 My head is foggy after staying up all night.
3. 締め切りに間に合わせるために徹夜した。 I stayed up all night to meet the deadline.

Usage Guide

Context: student life, work, daily life

Tone: informal

Origin & History

Compound of 徹 (tetsu, to penetrate/go through) and 夜 (ya, night). Together, 'going through the night' — staying awake from evening to morning without sleeping.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Young adults

Social background: Universal