noon

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 午 is associated with noon; its on-reading is ご.
• Basic usage: 午前, read ごぜん, refers to the morning or before noon; 午後, read ごご, refers to the afternoon or after noon.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Noon as the reference point
  • 午前 and 午後 divide time into before and after noon. 午前九時 means nine in the morning.
• Two characters with the same sound
  • In 午後, both 午 and 後 are read ご. Despite the repeated sound, they have distinct roles: noon and what comes after it.