夜中

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 夜中, read よなか, refers to the middle or late part of the night.
• Basic usage: Use it for waking during the night or staying active late.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Not an exact midnight
  • 午前零時 gives an exact time, while 夜中 broadly describes a period at night. It does not necessarily mean the instant of midnight.
• Time and endpoint
  • The example 夜中に marks when something happens.
  • The example 夜中まで marks how late an activity continues.