The Meaning of hiru [昼] In Japanese

昼
ひる
Romaji: hiru N5

What does 昼 mean?

Translation and Meaning

daytime, midday, noon

Definition

昼 (hiru) means the period of daylight centered on midday; it refers to the hours between morning and evening and is used to indicate the time around noon, lunchtime, or general daytime on schedules and in conversation.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Noon specifically, the moment around 12:00.
  • An informal reference to lunchtime or the meal taken at midday.
  • The daytime span as contrasted with night, often used in contexts like work shifts or operating hours.
  • A programming or broadcasting slot that airs during daytime hours.
  • Figuratively, the bright or active part of a daily cycle as opposed to the night.

Origin

The written form arrived with Chinese characters introduced to Japan in the early historic period; the concept of dividing the day into daytime and nighttime appears in classical Japanese records, and the character is attested in Heian-period texts used to mark times of day and daily activities.

Composition

The character combines the 日 radical, meaning ‘sun’ or ‘day’, with a lower component that historically conveys ‘center’ or ‘midpoint’; together the elements evoke the sun at its middle position in the sky, giving the sense of midday or daytime.

Usage

Used broadly in everyday speech and writing to refer to midday or daytime in both casual and formal contexts; common in schedules and timetables, in conversation about lunch or plans, and in compound words to indicate daytime-related activities (when quoting Japanese, include romaji in parentheses).
💡 Tips
Picture the sun (日) sitting right in the center of the sky at noon — that central sun is 昼 (hiru), the day’s middle.

Variations

  • 昼間 (ひるま, hiruma) — daytime (emphasizes the span of daylight hours)
  • 昼休み (ひるやすみ, hiru yasumi) — lunch break/midday rest
  • 昼下がり (ひるさがり, hirusagari) — early afternoon
  • 夜 (よる, yoru) — night (antonym)

Example Phrases

  • 窓からの景色を見て、昼ごはんを食べた。
    Mado kara no keshiki o mite, hirugohan o tabeta.
    I looked at the view from the window and had lunch.
    Lista:
    • 窓 (mado) – window
    • から (kara) – from
    • の (no) – possessive
    • 景色 (keshiki) – scenery
    • を (o) – object marker
    • 見て (mite) – see
    • 昼ごはん (hirugohan) – lunch
    • を (o) – object marker
    • 食べた (tabeta) – ate
    The word 「景色」 means scenery/view; here it’s used as the object of 見る in 窓からの景色を見て, and the sentence uses 〜を見て to connect actions: look at something and do another action.
  • 昼食後に 一休みしてから、 軽いストレッチをして コーヒーを飲んで、 作業へ戻る。
    Chūshoku go ni hitoyasumi shite kara, karui sutorecchi o shite kōhī o nonde, sagyō e modoru.
    After lunch, I take a short rest, do a light stretch, drink coffee, and return to work.
    Lista:
    • 昼食後に (Chūshoku go ni) – after lunch
    • 一休みしてから (hitoyasumi shite kara) – after taking a short rest
    • 軽いストレッチをして (karui sutorecchi o shite) – doing a light stretch
    • コーヒーを飲んで (kōhī o nonde) – drinking coffee
    • 作業へ戻る (sagyō e modoru) – return to work
    The noun 「一休み」 means a short rest; here it forms the sequence 「一休みしてから」 to indicate doing a break before the next action.
  • 今日は サークル で 新しい 友達 と 昼ごはん を 食べた。
    Kyou wa saakuru de atarashii tomodachi to hirugohan wo tabeta.
    Today I had lunch with a new friend at the club.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (Kyou wa) – direct translation in en
    • サークル (saakuru) – circle/club
    • で (de) – at / in (location particle)
    • 新しい (atarashii) – new
    • 友達 (tomodachi) – friend
    • と (to) – and / with
    • 昼ごはん (hirugohan) – lunch
    • を (wo) – object marker
    • 食べた (tabeta) – ate
    「サークル」は学校の部活動を指す外来語で、場所を示す で と一緒に使う点がポイント。
  • 今日は土木現場で同僚と昼休みを取った。
    Kyou wa doboku genba de douryou to hiruyasumi o totta.
    Today I took a lunch break with a colleague at a civil engineering site.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (kyou wa) – today
    • 土木現場で (doboku genba de) – at a civil engineering site
    • 同僚と (douryou to) – with a colleague
    • 昼休みを (hiruyasumi o) – a lunch break
    • 取った (totta) – took
    In this sentence, 「土木」 acts as a noun modifier to 現場 to form 土木現場, meaning a civil engineering site; the で marks the location.
  • 昼は うどん 又は カレー を 食べます。
    hiru wa udon mata wa karē o tabemasu.
    For lunch, I eat udon or curry.
    Lista:
    • 昼は (hiru wa) – for lunch
    • うどん (udon) – udon
    • 又は (mata wa) – or
    • カレー (karē) – curry
    • を (o) – object marker
    • 食べます (tabemasu) – eat
    The word 「又は」 marks alternatives in formal or written Japanese; it functions like ‘or’.
昼