Meaning and Usage
"今夜" (こんや) means "this evening" or "tonight." It refers specifically to the night of the current day and is commonly used in both casual and formal contexts.
Common Contexts
You will often hear "今夜" when talking about plans, weather forecasts, or intentions related to the night. For example, "今夜は友達と会う" (I will meet friends tonight) or "今夜は寒くなる" (It will get cold tonight).
Collocations and Patterns
- 今夜は + [activity]: to express plans or actions happening tonight.
- 今夜の + [noun]: to describe something related to tonight, like "今夜の天気" (tonight's weather).
- 今夜も: to indicate "tonight as well," often used to continue a pattern or habit.
Nuances and Tips
"今夜" is more specific than "今日の夜" (きょうのよる), which can mean "the night of today" but sometimes feels more formal or descriptive. "今夜" is natural in spoken Japanese when referring to tonight.
Learners sometimes confuse "今夜" with "昨夜" (last night) or "明夜" (tomorrow night), so be careful with the time frame implied.
Use "今夜" to clearly indicate the night of the current day, especially when making plans or talking about events happening after sunset.