宵 (xiāo) - night, evening — refers to the nighttime hours & often used in literary contexts to denote the

宵Tone 1

xiāo ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

想信

宵 · xiāo

night, evening — refers to the nighttime hours;

often used in literary contexts to denote the period from dusk till dawn.

night, evening — refers to the nighttime hoursoften used in literary contexts to denote the

Usage highlights

night marketmidnight snackall nightLantern Festivalnight skynight curfew

Synonyms

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • We had a night market (夜市) last night.
  • The midnight snack (夜宵) is delicious.
  • They stayed up all night (通宵).
  • The Lantern Festival is celebrated on the night of the 15th day of the first lunar month (元宵节).

Collocations

  • night market(夜市)
  • midnight snack(夜宵)
  • all night(通宵)
  • Lantern Festival(元宵节)
  • night sky(宵汉)
  • night curfew(宵禁)

Idioms

  • To stay up all night(通宵达旦)
  • To eat the midnight snack(吃夜宵)
  • The night is long and dreams many(宵长梦多)
  • To lift the curfew(解除宵禁)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 宵 is often associated with traditional festivals, especially the Lantern Festival (元宵节), which marks the end of Chinese New Year celebrations.
  • In ancient times,宵 referred to the period after sunset when people were expected to be indoors, leading to terms like宵禁 (curfew).
  • The character conveys a poetic sense of nighttime tranquility and reflection in classical literature.

FAQ