The above pie chart illustrates likely words we use for any time during the day.
The top point of the chart is 午前零時, midnight, and the bottom point is 正午, noon. Other than these 2, there are not clear cut-off points between any two adjacent terms. The following table explains the general definitions.
| 未明 | みめい | early hours of the morning; after midnight and well before dawn |
| 明け方 | あけがた | narrowly speaking, around dawn broadly speaking, around 3 am till dawn |
| 朝 | あさ | morning; after dawn until around 9-10 am |
| 昼前 | ひるまえ | after morning before noon |
| 昼頃 | ひるごろ | around noon |
| 昼過ぎ | ひるすぎ | (soon) after noon but well before dusk |
| 夕方 | ゆうがた | around dusk |
| 夜 | よる | narrowly speaking, after dark until around 9 pm broadly speaking, from dusk to dawn |
| 夜遅く | よるおそく | after around 9 pm |
Division based on the clock
- 午前（ごぜん）: from midnight until noon
- 午後（ごご）: from noon until midnight
Rough Division
- 朝（あさ）: from sun rise until around 9-10 am
- 日中（にっちゅう）: from around 9-10 am until sunset
- 夜（よる）: from sunset until sunrise
Other words used for “night”
The following words are used for (part of) the time when most people are asleep.
- 夜中（よなか）: in the dead of night
- 真夜中（まよなか）: at midnight or at dead of night (if used in this meaning, it is emphasizing ungodliness than 夜中)
- 深夜（しんや） is often used in compound words such as
- 深夜営業（しんやえいぎょう）: late night opening (of a business)
- 深夜料金（しんやりょうきん）: a late-night fare/rate (of public transport or shops)
- 深夜外出禁止（しんやがいしゅつきんし）: curfew
- 夜更け（よふけ）: late at night
Every Day
- 毎朝（まいあさ）: every morning
- 毎日（まいにち）: every day
- 毎夕（まいゆう）: every evening
- 毎晩（まいばん）: every night
For Today
| today | 今日 | きょう |
| this morning | 今朝 | けさ |
| (early) this evening | 今夕 | こんゆう |
| (late) this evening | 今晩 | こんばん |
| tonight | 今夜 | こんや |
天気 – weather | EasyJapaneseE
6 August 2021 at 8:00 am[…] For divisions within a day (24 hour) period, please see this post (Time Phrases during the Day). […]