The Meaning of shougo [正午] In Japanese

正午
しょうご
Romaji: shougo N5

What does 正午 mean?

Translation and Meaning

noon, midday

Definition

正午 means the time at 12:00, the middle of the day, commonly referred to as noon.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • noon, the middle of the day, precisely 12:00 PM in standard timekeeping
  • around noon when used with ごろ to indicate approximate midday
  • in formal writing or schedules, it marks the exact point of highest sun or middle daylight

Etymology

正 denotes correctness or exactness, 午 denotes the hour period associated with the noon-time segment; together they form the compound for the precise noonday moment.

Origin

The term appears in classical and medieval Japanese timekeeping, where the day was divided and tracked in relation to solar noon; it became standard in calendars, clerical timetables, and formal writing.

Composition

  • 正: ‘correct, true’, indicating exactness
  • 午: ‘noon’ hour marker; also linked to the zodiac sign horse

Usage

Used in formal and written contexts such as schedules, weather reports, and academic writing; in everyday speech, people may say 12:00 or use ごろ to mean around noon.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: visualize the sun at its zenith and a bold mark marking the moment as true noon; connect 正午 with the image of a clock’s hands aligning at 12:00 to recall ‘true noon’.

Variations

  • 真昼 (mahiru) — midday, a literary term
  • 昼頃 (hiru-doki) — around noon, common in conversation
  • 正午すぎ (shougo-sugi) — shortly after noon
  • 正午前 (shougo zen) — before noon

Example Phrases

  • 正午に会社を出て、弁当を急いで食べた。
    shōgo ni kaisha o dete, bentō o isoide tabeta.
    I left the office at noon and quickly ate my lunch.
    Lista:
    • 正午 (shōgo) – noon
    • に (ni) – time marker
    • 会社 (kaisha) – company
    • を (o) – object marker
    • 出て (dete) – go out / leave
    • 弁当 (bentō) – bento
    • 急いで (isoide) – quickly
    • 食べた (tabeta) – ate
    Uso de に para indicar o tempo exato; 「正午」 significa meio-dia.
正午