夕べ

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 夕べ (ゆうべ) is a temporal noun that can denote last night or an evening, as selected by context.
• Basic usage: 夕べは雨で目が覚めた refers to the preceding night, while 夏の夕べに麦茶を飲む refers to an evening in summer.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Last night and an evening
  • 夕べは points to the night immediately before speech, whereas 夏の夕べ presents a general evening within a season. The temporal reference should not be fixed identically in both uses.