night-time

night-time — noun

1. the hours of darkness between one day and the next, when most people are asleep

1.名詞A2
釋義

the hours of darkness between one day and the next, when most people are asleep and the sun is not in the sky

例句

The night-shift security guard always does two extra rounds during night-time.

during night-time — time reference phrase

Hugo's baby daughter usually wakes up at least once during night-time.

同義詞
  • night

    more common in everyday speech; night-time sounds slightly more formal

  • hours of darkness

    formal or literary; not common in ordinary conversation

反義詞
  • daytime

    the direct opposite; used in parallel constructions such as 'both daytime and night-time'

  • daylight hours

    specifically when the sun is up, not just the morning or evening

文法句型

at night-time

during night-time

用法筆記

Unlike the word 'night,' which can also refer to the early evening, 'night-time' specifically means the period of full darkness. It is most commonly used when contrasting with 'daytime' in formal or descriptive contexts. In everyday speech, 'night' alone is more natural.

常見錯誤

❌We arrived at night-time around eight o'clock.
✅We arrived in the evening around eight o'clock.
💡At eight o'clock it may not be fully dark yet, so 'night-time' is not appropriate.
❌I prefer to study at nighttime.
✅I prefer to study at night-time.
💡In British English, the hyphenated form is standard; the one-word spelling 'nighttime' is common in American English but considered non-standard in British writing.