宵

宵

宵 U+5BB5, 宵 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5BB5 ← 宴 [U+5BB4] CJK Unified Ideographs 家 → [U+5BB6]

Translingual

Han character

Stroke order

宵 (Kangxi radical 40, 宀+7, 10 strokes, cangjie input 十火月 (JFB), four-corner 3022₇, composition ⿱宀肖)

References

• KangXi: page 286, character 15
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 7168
• Dae Jaweon: page 566, character 2
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 932, character 2
• Unihan data for U+5BB5

---

Chinese

trad.		宵
simp. #		宵
alternative forms		霄

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 宵
Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script

Characters in the same phonetic series (肖) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
梢	*sreːw
捎	*sreːw, *sew
筲	*sreːw
鞘	*sreːw, *slewɢs
艄	*sreːw
蛸	*sreːw, *sew
髾	*sreːw
輎	*sreːw
旓	*sreːw
弰	*sreːw
鮹	*sreːw, *sew
綃	*sreːw, *sew
颵	*sreːw
莦	*sreːw, *sew
娋	*sreːw, *sreːws
稍	*sreːws
哨	*sreːws, *sʰews, *sew
揱	*sreːwɢs, *slew, *sreːwɢ
潲	*sreːws
睄	*sreːws
悄	*sʰewʔ
俏	*sʰews
峭	*sʰews
陗	*sʰews
帩	*sʰews
誚	*zews
消	*sew
宵	*sew
霄	*sew
硝	*sew
銷	*sew
逍	*sew
魈	*sew
痟	*slew
焇	*sew
肖	*slew, *slews
韒	*slewɢs
趙	*l'ewʔ
箾	*seːw, *sleːw
踃	*seːw
削	*slewɢ
矟	*sreːwɢ

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xiāo (xiao¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄠ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): siu¹
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): sêu
• Min Dong (BUC): siĕu
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): siau

  (Teochew, Peng'im): siou¹ / siao¹

• Wu (Wiktionary): xiau (T1)

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xiāo
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄠ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: siao
    • Wade–Giles: hsiao¹
    • Yale: syāu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiau
    • Palladius: сяо (sjao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕjɑʊ̯⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: siu¹
    • Yale: sīu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: siu¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: xiu¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siːu̯⁵⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sêu
    • Hakka Romanization System: seu´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: seu¹
    • Sinological IPA: /seu̯²⁴/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: siĕu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sieu⁵⁵/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: siau
    • Tâi-lô: siau
    • Phofsit Daibuun: siaw
    • IPA (Xiamen): /ɕiau⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ɕiau³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /ɕiau⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /ɕiau⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɕiau⁴⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: siou¹ / siao¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: siou / siau
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siou³³/, /siau³³/

Note:

• siou1 - Chaozhou;
• siao1 - Shantou, Jieyang, Chaoyang.

• Wu
  • (Shanghainese)
    • Wiktionary: xiau (T1)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕiɔ⁵³/

---

• Middle Chinese: /siᴇu/

Rime
Character	宵
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	心 (16)
Final (韻)	宵 (91)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	相邀切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/siᴇu/
Pan Wuyun	/siɛu/
Shao Rongfen	/sjæu/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/siaw/
Li Rong	/siɛu/
Wang Li	/sĭɛu/
Bernard Karlgren	/si̯ɛu/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	xiāo
Expected Cantonese Reflex	siu1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[s]ew/

  (Zhengzhang): /*sew/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	宵
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	xiāo
Middle Chinese	‹ sjew ›
Old Chinese	/*[s]ew/
English	night, evening
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	宵
Reading #	1/1
No.	13740
Phonetic component	肖
Rime group	宵
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	宵
Old Chinese	/*sew/

Definitions

宵

1. (literary) night; evening

   • 寒蟬淒切。對長亭晚，驟雨初歇。都門帳飲無緒，留戀處、蘭舟催發。執手相看淚眼，竟無語凝噎。念去去、千里煙波，暮靄沉沉楚天闊。多情自古傷離別，更那堪、冷落清秋節。今宵酒醒何處？楊柳岸、曉風殘月。此去經年，應是良辰好景虛設。便縱有、千種風情，更與何人說？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     寒蝉凄切。对长亭晚，骤雨初歇。都门帐饮无绪，留恋处、兰舟催发。执手相看泪眼，竟无语凝噎。念去去、千里烟波，暮霭沉沉楚天阔。多情自古伤离别，更那堪、冷落清秋节。今宵酒醒何处？杨柳岸、晓风残月。此去经年，应是良辰好景虚设。便纵有、千种风情，更与何人说？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 《雨霖鈴》 - 柳永 （宋朝)

     Hán chán qī qiè. Duì cháng tíng wǎn, zhòu yǔ chū xiē. Dōumén zhàng yǐn wú xù, liúliàn chù, lán zhōu cuī fā. Zhíshǒu xiàng kàn lèiyǎn, jìng wúyǔ níngyē. Niàn qù qù, qiānlǐ yān bō, mù ǎi chén chén chǔ tiān kuò. Duōqíng zìgǔ shāng líbié, gèng nà kān, lěngluò qīng qiū jié. Jīnxiāo jiǔ xǐng héchù? Yángliǔ àn, xiǎo fēng cányuè. Cǐ qù jīng nián, yìng shì liángchén hǎo jǐng xūshè. Biàn zòng yǒu, qiān zhǒng fēngqíng, gèng yǔ hérén shuō? [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this example)

2. (archaic) Synonym of 小 (xiǎo, “small”).

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 晚上 (“late evening; night”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		夜, 夕, 暮, 暮夜, 宵, 暝
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		晚上, 夜間, 晚間, 夜晚
Mandarin	Beijing	晚上, 黑間, 黑家, 黑下, 晚半晌兒, 後晌
	Taiwan	晚上
	Tianjin	晚上, 晚半晌兒, 晚晌兒, 後晌兒, 黑後晌兒, 黑晌兒, 黑下
	Langfang	黑嘍
	Tangshan	晚上, 黑家
	Cangzhou	晚上, 黑下
	Baoding	晚上, 黑家
	Shijiazhuang	黑家
	Daming	黑瞎
	Harbin	晚上, 下黑兒, 下晚兒黑, 黑家, 黑下, 夜裡
	Yantai (Muping)	光晌黑兒, 黑子兒
	Weifang (Weicheng)	後晌
	Weifang (Fangzi)	後上
	Weifang (Hanting)	後上
	Changyi	下晚兒
	Gaomi	下晚兒, 後晌
	Zhucheng	後晌
	Anqiu	後晌
	Changle	後上
	Linqu	後上
	Qingzhou	後上
	Shouguang	後上
	Rizhao	後晌
	Wulian	後晌
	Jinan	後晌, 晚上, 夜裡, 黑夜
	Luoyang	黑地
	Wanrong	黑間, 黑家
	Kaifeng	黑嘍
	Xi'an	黑咧
	Yinchuan	晚夕, 晚上
	Lanzhou	晚夕
	Xining	晚夕
	Ürümqi	黑裡, 晚上, 晚夕
	Wuhan	晚上, 黑了, 夜晚, 夜晚心, 夜心
	Chengdu	黑了, 晚上
	Chongqing	晚上, 晚黑
	Guiyang	晚些家, 晚些, 晚上家, 晚上, 下晚
	Kunming	晚辰, 晚起, 晚辰家
	Guilin	晚上
	Liuzhou	晚夜, 夜晚, 晚上, 夜裡, 夜晚頭
	Tianlin (Langping)	夜晚
	Xuzhou	黑來, 晚黑, 夜來
	Yangzhou	晚上
	Nanjing	晚上, 夜裡頭, 夜裡
	Hefei	晚上
	Chuzhou	夜裡
	Nantong	夜頭
	Singapore	晚上
	Mae Salong (Lancang)	夜, 黑了
	Olginsky (Mikhaylovka)	下晚兒
Cantonese	Guangzhou	夜晚黑, 夜晚, 晚黑, 晚頭, 晚頭夜, 晚頭黑
	Hong Kong	夜晚黑, 夜晚, 晚黑, 晚頭 rare, 晚頭夜 rare, 晚頭黑 rare
	Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou)	入夜, 晚頭黑
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)	夜晚黑, 夜晚
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	夜晚頭
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	夜晚, 夜晚頭
	Macau	晚頭黑, 夜晚
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	夜晚黑
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	晚頭黑
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	夜晚
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	夜晚黑
	Foshan	夜晚黑
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	夜晚黑
	Foshan (Shunde)	夜晚
	Foshan (Sanshui)	夜晚
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	夜晚
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	晚黑
	Zhuhai (Qianshan)	夜晚黑
	Zhuhai (Doumen, Shangheng Tanka)	夜晚黑
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	夜晚黑
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	晚黑
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	晚黑
	Taishan	夜晚, 夜晚黑, 晚黑, 黑晚, 夜黑, 晚頭, 晚頭黑
	Taishan (Guanghai)	晚上
	Kaiping (Chikan)	夜晚, 夜晚黑, 晚黑
	Enping (Niujiang)	黑晚夜
	Heshan (Yayao)	晚黑, 夜晚
	Dongguan	晚頭黑, 晚頭, 晚黑
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	晚頭
	Qingyuan	夜晚
	Fogang	夜晚
	Yingde (Hanguang)	夜晚黑
	Yangshan	夜頭
	Lianshan (Butian)	夜頭
	Lianzhou (Qingshui Sihui)	夜頭
	Shaoguan	夜晚黑
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	夜晚
	Renhua	夜晚
	Lechang	夜晚
	Zhaoqing (Gaoyao)	夜晚, 晚頭
	Sihui	夜晚黑
	Guangning	夜晚夜
	Deqing	夜晚黑
	Huaiji	夜, 夜晚
	Fengkai (Nanfeng)	夜晚
	Yunfu	夜晚黑
	Xinxing	晚黑
	Luoding	夜晚
	Yunan (Pingtai)	晚黑
	Yangjiang	晚黑, 夜晚黑
	Xinyi	晚黑
	Maoming (Xinpo)	晚黑, 晚間黑
	Lianjiang	晚黑
	Wuchuan (Wuyang)	晚間
	Nanning	夜晚
	Wuzhou	晚黑
	Yulin	夜墨
	Hepu (Lianzhou)	斷暗, 夜晚頭
	Guiping	夜晚
	Guiping (Jintian)	夜晚
	Guiping (Jiangkou)	夜晚, 晚黑, 夜裡
	Guiping (Madong)	夜頭
	Mengshan (Xihe)	夜晚
	Guigang (Nanjiang)	夜晚
Beiliu (Tangliao)	夜晚
Baise	夜晚
Bobai	夜裡頭
Lingshan	夜裡頭
Pubei	夜晚
Qinzhou	晚頭
Beihai	晚頭, 晚頭黑
Beihai (Nankang)	黑, 晚黑頭, 晚間頭
Beihai (Yingpan)	晚頭黑
Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô)	晚黑, 晚間頭
Ningming	晚上
Hengxian	到夜
Hezhou (Pumen)	夜頭
Fangchenggang (Fangcheng)	晚黑, 夜晚
Danzhou	烏昏
Sanya (Yanglan Maihua)	夜裡
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	晚頭, 夜晚
Singapore (Guangfu)	夜晚
Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	晚黑, 夜晚
Móng Cái	晚黑, 夜晚
Yangon (Taishan)	晚頭
Mandalay (Taishan)	夜
Gan	Nanchang	夜晚, 夜裡
	Pengze	夜裡
	Lichuan	夜上
	Pingxiang	夜晡仔, 夜晡
Hakka	Meixian	暗晡頭, 暗晡夜, 夜晡, 暗晡
	Xingning	暗晡, 夜晡頭
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	黑晚
	Huiyang	晚晨夜, 夜晡頭
	Huidong (Daling)	暗晡夜, 晚晨夜
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	夜晡晨, 晚晨夜
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	夜晡晨
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	夜晚
	Wuhua (Huacheng)	暗晡, 暗晡夜, 夜晡晨, 夜晡頭
	Heyuan (Bendihua)	暗矕
	Wengyuan	夜晡頭
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	夜晡夜, 夜子頭
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	夜晡頭
	Liannan	夜晡頭
	Conghua (Lütian)	夜晡夜
	Jiexi	暗晡頭
	Luhe	夜晡時, 暗夜仔
	Zhao'an (Xiuzhuan)	暗晡時頭
	Changting	暗晡
	Wuping	暗晡
	Wuping (Yanqian)	夜晡, 夜晡頭
	Wuping (Pingyu)	夜晡, 暗晡
	Liancheng	暗邊, 夜晡
	Liancheng (Peitian)	夜晡夜
	Ninghua	夜頭, 夜邊
	Yudu	夜晡, 暗晡
	Ningdu	夜晡晨
	Ruijin	夜晡
	Shicheng	夜辰
	Shangyou (Shexi)	夜芒
	Tonggu (Sandu)	暗晡
	Ganzhou (Panlong)	夜晡
	Dayu	夜晡
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	暗晡頭, 暗晡時頭, 暗晡
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	暗晡頭, 暗晡時頭, 暗晡時節, 暗晡
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	暗晡頭, 暗晡時頭, 暗晡
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	暗晡頭, 暗晡時頭, 暗晡
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	暗晡頭, 暗晡時頭, 暗晡
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	夜時頭, 暗夜時頭, 暗夜, 暗晡
	Hong Kong	暗晡頭, 晚晨頭, 夜晚晨
	Yangxi (Tangkou)	晚間
	Yangchun (Sanjia)	晚間
	Xinyi (Sihe)	夜
	Xinyi (Qianpai)	夜晡夜
	Gaozhou (Xindong)	晚間頭
	Maoming (Shalang, Dianbai)	暗今頭
	Huazhou (Xin'an)	暗摸頭
	Lianjiang (Shijiao)	暗晡夜
	Lianjiang (Qingping)	晏晡頭
	Mengshan (Xihe)	暗夜
	Luchuan	夜晡間
	Luchuan (Daqiao)	暗晡夜
	Bobai (Shahe)	夜晡頭
	Bobai (Longtan)	夜間頭
	Bobai (Lingping)	夜晡間
	Beiliu (Tang'an)	夜間頭
	Beiliu (Gonghe)	夜摸
	Xingye (Gaofeng)	夜間頭
	Mashan (Pianlian)	到夜
	Guilin (Xiaojiang, Lingui)	夜晡
	Pingle (Tong'an)	夜晡頭
	Yangshuo (Jinbao)	夜晡, 夜晡頭, 暗晡
	Sabah (Bao'an)	暗晡晨, 暗晚夜
	Senai (Huiyang)	夜晡晨, 暗晡晨
Singkawang	夜晡頭
Pontianak (Meixian)	暗晡時, 暗晡夜
Bangkok (Meixian)	夜晡時
Huizhou	Jixi	夜下, 夜上
Jin	Taiyuan	黑夜, 黑咾
	Datong (Xicetian, Yunzhou)	黑夜
	Xinzhou	黑夜, 黑勞
	Zhangjiakou	晚上, 黑夜
	Handan	晚上, 黑來
Min Bei	Jian'ou	暗暝, 暗暝頭
	Jian'ou (Dikou)	暝暗, 暝暗頭
	Songxi	暗暝
	Zhenghe	暗暝
	Zhenghe (Zhenqian)	暗暝
	Jianyang	暗暝
	Wuyishan	暗暝
	Pucheng (Shibei)	暗暝
Min Dong	Fuzhou	暝晡, 暝晡頭, 兩晡頭
	Changle	兩晡頭, 暝晡
	Lianjiang	暝晡
	Fuqing	暝晡, 脖頭
	Pingtan	暝晡頭
	Yongtai	暝晡頭, 暝晡
	Minqing	暝晡
	Gutian	暝晡
	Pingnan	暝晡頭
	Luoyuan	暝晡
	Fu'an	暝晡
	Ningde	暝晡
	Xiapu	暝晡頭
	Zherong	暝晡
	Shouning	暝間
	Zhouning	暝晡
	Fuding	暝過頭
	Matsu	暝晡
Min Nan	Xiamen	暗暝, 暗時, 下昏, 暗頭, 暗頭仔, 暗頭時, 暝時, 下昏時
	Xiamen (Tong'an)	暝時, 下昏, 下昏時
	Quanzhou	暗暝, 暗時, 暗頭, 暗頭仔, 暝時
	Jinjiang	暝時, 暗暝
	Nan'an	暗時
	Hui'an	暗暝, 暝時
	Anxi	暗暝
	Yongchun	暗暝, 暗時
	Dehua	暝時
	Zhangzhou	下昏, 暗暝, 暗時, 暗頭, 暗頭仔, 暝時, 暝昏, 暝昏暗
	Zhangzhou (Longhai)	下昏時
	Zhangzhou (Changtai)	暝間
	Hua'an	下昏時
	Nanjing	暝間, 下昏
	Pinghe	暝時, 暗時
	Zhangpu	下昏
	Yunxiao	暝昏
	Zhao'an	下昏, 下昏時, 暝昏時
	Dongshan	暝昏時, 暝間
	Taipei	下昏, 下昏暗時, 暗時, 暗頭仔
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	下昏暗, 暗時
	Kaohsiung	下昏, 下暗, 暗時, 暗時仔, 暗頭仔, 暝時
	Yilan	下昏, 下暗, 暗時, 暗時仔, 暗頭仔
	Changhua (Lukang)	下昏暗, 暗時, 暗頭仔
	Taichung	暗時, 暝時
	Taichung (Wuqi)	暗時
	Tainan	下昏, 下昏暗, 暗時, 暗時仔, 暗頭仔, 暝時
	Taitung	下暗
	Hsinchu	暗時, 下昏暗時
	Kinmen	暗時, 下昏時
	Penghu (Magong)	暝時, 下昏, 此暝昏, 暗頭仔
	Penang (Hokkien)	暗暝
	Singapore (Hokkien)	暗暝, 暗頭, 暗頭仔, 暝時, 下昏
	Manila (Hokkien)	暗暝, 暗時, 暗頭, 暝時
	Longyan	暗頭, 暗暝
	Zhangping	暗昏時, 下昏
	Zhangping (Yongfu)	暗時, 暗昏時, 暝時
	Datian	暝昏頭
	Pingnan (Shangdu)	夜裡, 暗昏時
	Guiping (Xiaowen)	月昏, 月昏時, 遘昏
	Guiping (Dongsheng)	下昏
	Chaozhou	暝旰, 暗頭, 暝暗, 一暝
	Shantou	暝旰, 暝暗, 暝昏囝, 暝昏時, 一暝
	Shantou (Chenghai)	暝暗, 暝暗頭, 一暝
	Jieyang	暝旰, 暝暗, 暝暗囝, 暝昏, 暝昏囝, 暝暗頭
	Lufeng	暝時
	Haifeng	暝昏, 暝時, 暝昏時
	Bangkok (Teochew)	暝昏
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	暝昏囝, 暝時
	Singapore (Teochew)	暝旰
	Batam (Teochew)	暝旰
	Leizhou	暝昏, 暝頭, 暝旰
	Wenchang	暝頭, 暗上
	Haikou	暝頭, 暝昏, 暝暗
	Qionghai	暝頭, 暝昏頭
	Singapore (Hainanese)	暝頭
Puxian Min	Putian	暝頭, 暝時頭, 暝頭時, 暝昏
	Xianyou	暝頭, 暝時, 暝昏
	Fuding (Aoyao)	暝昏頭
Min Zhong	Yong'an	暝昏
	Sanyuan	暝昏
	Shaxian	暝昏
Zhongshan Min	Shaxi (Longdu)	暝頭
	Sanxiang	暝昏
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	夜裡
	Nanning (Shajing)	夜裡頭
	Hengxian (Baihe)	夜
Northern Pinghua	Guilin (Dahe)	夜下
	Guilin (Wutong, Lingui)	夜來, 夜晚
	Guilin (Liutang, Lingui)	夜晡時頭
	Lingchuan (Sanjie)	夜時
	Lingchuan (Shuangzhou)	夜時
Shehua	Fu'an	暗晡頭
	Fuding	暗晡頭
	Sanming	暗晡
	Shunchang	暗晡頭
	Hua'an	暗晡時
	Guixi (Zhangping)	暗
	Cangnan	暗晡
	Jingning	暗晡
	Lishui	暗晡
	Longyou	暗晡夜
	Chaozhou	暗晡
	Fengshun	暗晡時
Waxiang	Guzhang (Gaofeng)	黑頭
Wu	Shanghai	夜頭, 夜裡頭, 夜裡向, 夜裡, 夜到頭, 夜到, 黃昏戌時 dated
	Shanghai (Chongming)	夜裡向, 夜頭, 夜來
	Suzhou	夜裡, 夜裡向, 夜頭
	Wuxi	夜頭
	Changzhou	夜勒
	Danyang	夜頭, 夜裡
	Hangzhou	夜到, 夜到頭, 夜裡向, 夜裡, 夜裡頭
	Hangzhou (Yuhang)	夜到, 夜裡向, 夜裡
	Ningbo	夜到, 夜到頭, 夜頭, 夜到晚頭, 夜到末頭
	Wenzhou	黃昏, 夜裡
	Jinhua	夜裡, 夜頭
Xiang	Changsha	夜間子, 夜裡
	Loudi	夜界, 夜裡
	Shuangfeng	夜裡, 夜唧

Compounds

中宵 元宵 (yuánxiāo) 宵人 (xiāorén) 宵分 宵夜 (xiāoyè) 宵小 (xiāoxiǎo) 宵旰 宵柝 宵禁 (xiāojìn) 宵行

宵衣 宵衣旰食 (xiāoyīgànshí) 旰食宵衣 昃食宵衣 春宵 春宵苦短 深宵 良宵 (liángxiāo) 良宵美景 通宵 (tōngxiāo)

宵征 元宵節／元宵节 (yuánxiāojié) 宵旰圖治／宵旰图治 宵旰憂勞／宵旰忧劳 宵旰焦勞／宵旰焦劳 宵錦／宵锦 宵類／宵类 搖元宵／摇元宵 燈宵／灯宵 通宵達旦／通宵达旦 (tōngxiāodádàn)

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xiào (xiao⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄠˋ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xiào
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄠˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: siào
    • Wade–Giles: hsiao⁴
    • Yale: syàu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiaw
    • Palladius: сяо (sjao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕjɑʊ̯⁵¹/

---

Definitions

宵

1. Alternative form of 肖 (xiào, “to resemble”).

---

Japanese

Shinjitai	宵
Kyūjitai [1]	宵󠄁 宵+󠄁? (Adobe-Japan1)
	宵󠄃 宵+󠄃? (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho)
The displayed kanji may be different from the image due to your environment. See here for details.

Kanji

宵

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: しょう (shō, Jōyō)^{←せう (seu, historical)}
• Kan-on: しょう (shō, Jōyō)^{←せう (seu, historical)}
• Kun: よい (yoi, 宵, Jōyō)^{←よひ (yofi, historical)}; よる (yoru, 宵); よ (yo, 宵)

Compounds

• 宵(しょう)衣(い)旰(かん)食(しょく) (shōikanshoku)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
宵
よい Grade: S
kun’yomi

⟨yo₂pi₁⟩ → */jəpʲi/ → /joɸi/ → /jowi/ → /joi/

From Old Japanese.

Appears to be derived from a compound, the initial yo is likely from a y- stem cognate with 夕 (yū, “evening”), while the final i is likely from 日 (hi, “day”). (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) よい [yòí] (Heiban – [0])[2]
• IPA^(key): [jo̞i]

Noun

宵(よい) • (yoi) ^{←よひ (yofi)?}

1. the hours after sunset until midnight, collectively: dusk, evening, and night

   Synonyms: 初夜 (shoya), 夜間 (yakan), 夜 (yo, yoru)

2. the eve of an event, especially of a festival

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 宵(よい)宵(よい) (yoiyoi)
• 宵(よい)暁(あかつき) (yoiakatsuki)
• 宵(よい)居(い) (yoii)
• 宵(よい)戎(えびす) (yoiebisu)
• 宵(よい)越(ご)し (yoigoshi)
• 宵(よい)庚(こう)申(しん) (yoikōshin)
• 宵(よい)込(ご)め (yoigome)
• 宵(よい)皐月(ざつき) (yoizatsuki)
• 宵(よい)涼(すず)み (yoisuzumi)
• 宵(よい)節(ぜっ)供(く) (yoizekku)
• 宵(よい)立(だ)ち (yoidachi)
• 宵(よい)月(づき) (yoizuki)
• 宵(よい)月(づき)夜(よ) (yoizukiyo)
• 宵(よい)鳴(な)き (yoinaki)
• 宵(よい)覗(のぞ)き (yoinozoki)
• 宵(よい)の年(とし) (yoi no toshi)
• 宵(よい)の春(はる) (yoi no haru)
• 宵(よい)の間(ま) (yoi no ma)
• 宵(よい)の明(みょう)星(じょう) (yoi no myōjō)
• 宵(よい)は待(ま)ち (Yoi wa Machi)
• 宵(よい)っ張(ぱ)り (yoippari)
• 宵(よい)番(ばん) (yoiban)
• 宵(よい)待(ま)ち (yoimachi)
• 宵(よい)惑(まど)い (yoimadoi)
• 宵(よい)闇(やみ) (yoiyami)
• 宵(よい)の内(うち) (yoi no uchi)
• 宵(よい)の口(くち) (yoi no kuchi)
• 今宵(こよい) (koyoi)
• 待(まつ)宵(よい) (matsuyoi)

Proverbs

• 朝(あさ)題(だい)目(もく)に宵(よい)念(ねん)仏(ぶつ) (asa daimoku ni yoi nenbutsu)
• 旨(うま)い物(もの)は宵(よい)に食(く)え (umai mono wa yoi ni kue)
• 名(な)のない星(ほし)は宵(よい)から出(で)る (na no nai hoshi wa yoi kara deru)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
宵
しょう Grade: S
on’yomi

/seu/ → /ɕeu/ → /ɕoː/

From Middle Chinese 宵 (MC siᴇu).

Affix

宵(しょう) • (shō) ^{←せう (seu)?}

1. night
2. time after sunset until midnight

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 一(いっ)宵(しょう) (isshō)
• 昨(さく)宵(しょう) (sakushō)
• 秋(しゅう)宵(しょう) (shūshō)
• 終(しゅう)宵(しょう) (shūshō)
• 春(しゅん)宵(しょう) (shunshō)
• 清(せい)宵(しょう) (seishō)
• 中(ちゅう)宵(しょう) (chūshō)
• 徹(てっ)宵(しょう) (tesshō)
• 半(はん)宵(しょう) (hanshō)
• 良(りょう)宵(しょう) (ryōshō)

References

1. “宵”, in 漢字ぺディア (Kanjipedia)‎ (in Japanese), 日本漢字能力検定協会, 2015—2023
2. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

---

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 宵 (MC siᴇu). Recorded as Middle Korean 쇼 (syo) (Yale: syo) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Hanja

Wikisource宵 (eumhun 밤 소 (bam so))

1. Hanja form^? of 소 (“night”).

Compounds

Compounds

• 소인 (宵人, soin)
• 소행 (宵行, sohaeng)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

---

Old Japanese

Etymology

Appears to be derived from a compound, the initial yo₂ is likely from a y- stem cognate with 夕 (yupu, “evening”), while the final pi₁ is likely from 日 (pi₁, “day”). (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Noun

宵 (yo₂pi₁) (kana よひ)

1. the hours after sunset until midnight, collectively: dusk, evening, and night

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:宵.

Coordinate terms

• 夕へ (yupupe₁, “twilight”)
• 夜中 (yo₁naka, “midnight”)
• 曉 (akato₂ki₁, “dawn”)
• 朝 (asita, “next morning”)

Derived terms

• 宵宵 (yo₂pi₁yo₂pi₁)
• 朝宵 (asayo₂pi₁)
• 七日の宵 (nanuka no₂ yo₂pi₁)
• 今宵 (ko₂yo₂pi₁)

Descendants

• Japanese: 宵 (yoi)

---

Vietnamese

Han character

宵: Hán Nôm readings: tiêu

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.