夕焼け

• Reading: ゆうやけ
• Romaji: yuuyake
• Kanji breakdown: 夕 (yuu) — evening; 焼 (ya) — burn, glow
• Pronunciation: /jɯː.ja.ke/

Meaning

Evening glow; red sunset; afterglow of sunset. The reddish-orange sky seen at dusk.

A poetic and commonly used word describing the colourful sky at sunset. Often used in weather forecasting — 夕焼けは明日晴れ (an evening glow means tomorrow will be clear). The counterpart for morning is 朝焼け (morning glow).

Examples

1. 今日の夕焼けはとてもきれいでした。 Today's sunset glow was really beautiful.
2. 夕焼けを見ながら海辺を散歩しました。 I took a walk by the beach while watching the sunset glow.
3. 夕焼けが赤いと、明日は晴れるそうです。 They say if the sunset glow is red, tomorrow will be sunny.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, weather, daily life

Tone: poetic

Origin & History

Compound of 夕 (evening) and 焼け (burning, from 焼ける to burn/glow). The word poetically describes the sky appearing to burn with colour at dusk.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal