夜 (yè) — night (noun); (measure word) night (unit used for counting nights)
Definition
夜 (yè) means 'night' and is used as both a noun and the measure word for counting nights (三天两夜). It is more literary/written than 晚上, which is the everyday word for evening/night.
noun
night (noun)
classifier
night (unit used for counting nights)
Examples
- ，。Zuó tiān wǒ gōng zuò dào hěn wǎn, yè lǐ méi shuì hǎo.I worked late yesterday and didn't sleep well at night.
- 夜。Wǒ men wán le sān tiān liǎng yè.We played for three days and two nights.
- ，。Wǎn shàng sàn bù hěn shū fu, yè lǐ de fēng hěn liáng.Walking in the evening is comfortable; the night breeze is cool.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
The form 夜 pairs 亦 as a sound part with 夕 as a moon part, for night. In the modern shape, the 亦 part is broken up and one stroke merges into 夕.
Appears in
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