Times of Day in Japanese Kanji: 朝 (Morning), 昼 (Daytime/Noon), 夕 (Evening), 夜 (Night) & 晩 (Night)

Follow the sun and moon across the sky: at dawn, the sun rises while the moon is still visible (朝 Morning); at midday, the sun stands high above the ground line (昼 Noon); at dusk, the crescent moon appears (夕 Evening); and after dark, we enter 夜 (yoru) and 晩 (ban).

Quick Comparison: 朝 (Morning) vs. 昼 (Noon, Daytime) vs. 夕 (Evening, Dusk) vs. 夜 (Night)

Compare all five times of day and their primary readings below:

Side-by-Side Illustrated Kanji Flashcards (Tap Readings for Audio)

Compare the custom Shibashi artwork for 朝 (Morning) and 昼 (Noon, Daytime) below. Notice how each illustration embeds both the English meaning and the primary Japanese reading directly into the scene, and tap any reading to hear native pronunciation:

Step-by-Step Visual Breakdown & Radical Rules

Here is how to remember each character AND when to use 夜 (yoru) vs. 晩 (ban):

1. 朝 (Morning) — Mnemonic Story & Readings

On'yomi: ちょう  |  Kun'yomi: あさ
Shibashi Visual Story: “According to this Japanese doctor, the recipe for a perfect morning is chocolate (ちょう) ++ Asahi (あさ) beer.” Key visual distinction: Rising Sun (十日十) on the left + fading Moon (月) on the right = MORNING (asa / chō).

• 朝 (あさ): morning
• 朝ごはん (あさごはん): breakfast

2. 昼 (Noon, Daytime) — Mnemonic Story & Readings

On'yomi: ちゅう  |  Kun'yomi: ひる
Shibashi Visual Story: “Impossible to sleep at noon when the sun is out with its fancy heels (ひる), shining, chewing (ちゅう) gum.” Key visual distinction: 尺 (Measuring stick) over 日 (Sun) + 一 (Ground horizon) = measuring the sun high above the horizon at NOON / DAYTIME (hiru / chū).

• 昼 (ひる): noon, daytime
• 昼間 (ひるま): daytime, during the day
• 昼休み (ひるやすみ): noon break

3. 夕 (Evening, Dusk) — Mnemonic Story & Readings

On'yomi: —  |  Kun'yomi: ゆう
Shibashi Visual Story: “In the evening all the youths (ゆう) come out to play on the moon.” Key visual distinction: A crescent moon appearing at dusk = EVENING / DUSK (yū / seki).

• 夕方 (ゆうがた): evening
• 夕飯 (ゆうはん): dinner

4. 夜 (Night) — Mnemonic Story & Readings

On'yomi: や  |  Kun'yomi: よる, よ
Shibashi Visual Story: “Even with aliens watching, your (よ or よる) yakuza (や) friend is not scared to do yoga at night.” Key visual distinction: Person (亻) under a roof (亠) with the evening moon (夕) = NIGHT as a period of time (yoru / ya).

• 今夜 (こんや): tonight
• 夜中 (やちゅう): all night; the whole night
• 夜 (よる): night, evening

5. 晩 (Late Evening) — Mnemonic Story & Readings

On'yomi: ばん  |  Kun'yomi: —
Shibashi Visual Story: “Ever since the girl got banned (ばん), she just sits at home all evening, staring into the wall.” Key visual distinction: Sun (日) escaping (免) = NIGHT / EVENING used for meals (晩ご飯) and counting nights (毎晩) (ban).

• 晩 (ばん): evening
• 今晩 (こんばん): this evening
• 毎晩 (まいばん): every night

Essential Japanese Vocabulary Words Using 朝 / 昼 / 夕 / 夜

Once you can recognize 朝 (Morning) and 昼 (Noon, Daytime) and 夕 (Evening, Dusk) individually, lock them into your active reading vocabulary with these high-frequency Japanese words from the Shibashi app:

5-Second Memory Summary: How to Never Mix Up 朝 & 昼 & 夕 Again

夜 (yoru) vs. 晩 (ban): 夜 (yoru) is the standalone noun for nighttime (opposite of 昼 hiru, daytime — e.g., 夜に勉強する 'study at night'). 晩 (ban) is used primarily in compounds like 晩ご飯 (bangohan — dinner), 今晩 (konban — this evening), and 毎晩 (maiban — every night)!