Word
夕方
Meaning in Englishlate afternoon, early evening
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
夕方 means the period of the day from late afternoon to early evening, when daylight fades and the sky can take on a dusky hue; commonly used in everyday speech and schedules.
Main meanings
- Typical time window: late afternoon to early evening, before night
- Casual speech and scheduling contexts
- Can imply around sunset in phrases like 夕方頃
How to use it
Used to reference the late-afternoon to early-evening period in formal and informal contexts; common in schedules, weather reports, media, and casual conversation; not used for late night.
Variants and close terms
- 夕刻 — ゆうこく — (yūkoku)
- 黄昏時 — たそがれどき — (tasogare-doki)
- 夕ごろ — ゆうごろ — (yūgoro)
Composition
- 夕: evening; dusk
- 方: direction/side; in time-related compounds, marks a portion or period
Etymology
Native compound formed from 夕 (evening) and 方 (direction/side); the pronunciation ゆうがた (yūgata) reflects a natural kun-reading combination, with the long vowel realized in modern Japanese as yūgata.
Word class
Noun (名詞)
Related words by kanji and components
N1
遠方
empou
long way, distant place
N1
大方
ookata
almost all, majority
N1
外方
soppo
look (or turn) the other way
N1
他方
tahou
another side, on the other hand
N1
平方
heihou
square (e.g., meter, square)
N1
方策
housaku
plan, policy
N1
方式
houshiki
form, method, system
N1
目方
mekata
weight
N1
夕暮れ
yuugure
evening, (evening) twilight