半夜三更 (bàn yè sān gēng) — (idiom) the depths of the night; late at night

Definition

Set idiom meaning 'the depths of the night' — a literary, emphatic way to say 'very late at night.' More vivid than the plain 深夜.

idiom
the depths of the nightlate at night

Examples

  • 半夜三更
    Tā bàn yè sān gēng hái zài jiā bān, zhēn shì xīn kǔ.
    He's still working overtime in the dead of night—that's really tough.
  • 半夜三更
    bàn yè sān gēng De shí hou, wài miàn tū rán xià qǐ le dà yǔ.
    In the middle of the night, it suddenly started raining heavily outside.
  • 半夜三更
    Shuí bàn yè sān gēng dǎ diàn huà lái? tài chǎo le.
    Who's calling at this late hour? It's too noisy.

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.