昼

• Reading: ひる
• Romaji: hiru
• Kanji breakdown: 昼 (hiru/chuu) — noon, daytime
• Pronunciation: /çi.ɾɯ/

Meaning

Noon; midday; daytime. The middle part of the day.

Covers the period around noon and early afternoon. Most commonly heard in 昼ご飯 (hirugohan, lunch) and お昼 (ohiru, lunchtime, polite). Can also mean 'daytime' broadly, as opposed to 夜 (night). The compound 昼休み (hiruyasumi, lunch break) is essential workplace vocabulary.

Examples

1. 昼ご飯に何を食べますか。 What are you having for lunch?
2. 昼は暖かいですが、夜は寒いです。 It's warm during the day, but cold at night.
3. 昼休みに散歩をします。 I take a walk during my lunch break.

Usage Guide

Context: meals, daily routines, weather

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 昼 originally depicted the sun (日) at its highest point, with a hand measuring its position in the sky.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal