夜半|やはんyahan[0]heiban (flat)

1. nounmiddle of the night; dead of night
   我々われわれはしゃべりづめで夜半やはんまで起おきていた。↗

   We sat up half the night just talking.

• Synonym真夜中まよなかNeutralThe very middle of the night, when night is at its deepest; common in speech, while 「夜半」 is more written, seen in weather forecasts and literature.
• Synonym深夜しんやNeutralLate at night; the everyday default, as in 「深夜番組」, whereas 「夜半」 is the written choice.
• Synonym半夜はんやWrittenA written word for midnight that can also mean half of a night; used rarely.
• Synonym中夜ちゅうやWrittenA written, Buddhist or old time-division term for the hours from about 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
• Related深更しんこうWrittenA written word for the dead of night, as in 「深更に及ぶ」; more literary than 「夜半」.
• Antonym真昼まひるNeutralMidday or broad daylight; the direct opposite of 「夜半」's middle of the night.
• Antonym日中にっちゅうNeutralDaytime, as in 「日中は暑い」; contrasts with 「夜半」's nighttime.
• Antonym昼間ひるまNeutralDaytime; the most colloquial word, contrasting with 「夜半」's late night.

In everyday speech use 「深夜」 or 「真夜中」 for the middle of the night; 「夜半」 is written, heard in weather forecasts and literature, as in 「夜半から雨」. For daytime, 「昼間」 is the usual word.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 夜中よなか。