明け方

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 明け方 is read as あけがた and means “dawn” and “daybreak”.
• Basic usage: It marks waking to rain near dawn and the sky gradually brightening at daybreak.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 明け方に / 明け方になる
  • Use 明け方に for a point in time and 明け方になる for the transition into dawn.