深夜

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 深夜 is read as しんや and is a noun for the late-night period when the night is well advanced.
• Basic usage: Use 深夜の駅前 for a time setting and 帰宅したのは深夜だった for the time an event occurred.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Difference from midnight
  • 深夜 covers a broad late-night period and does not necessarily mean exactly 12:00 a.m.
• Modification and predication
  • 深夜の gives a place or program its time setting, while 深夜だった states when an event occurred.