夜中

夜中

1. (literary) midnight

• 夜半 (yèbàn)

Compound of 夜 (yo, “night”) +‎ 中 (naka, “middle”).[1][2]

• (Tokyo) よなか​ [yònákáꜜ] (Odaka – [3])[2][3]
• IPA^(key): [jo̞na̠ka̠]

夜(よ)中(なか) • (yonaka) 

1. late at night, the middle of the night
2. midnight

   Synonym: 真夜中 (mayonaka)

The midnight sense of specifically at 12:00 AM is more commonly expressed by the term 真夜中 (mayonaka).

• 真(ま)夜(よ)中(なか) (mayonaka, “midnight”)

Apparently from Middle Chinese 夜中 (MC yaeH trjuwng).

• (Tokyo) や​ちゅう [yáꜜchùù] (Atamadaka – [1])[2][3]
• (Tokyo) やちゅう [yàchúú] (Heiban – [0])[2][3]
• IPA^(key): [ja̠t͡ɕɨᵝː]

夜(や)中(ちゅう) • (yachū) 

1. nighttime, the night, the period of time during the night

Compound of 夜 (yo, “night”) +‎ 中 (jū, “during, throughout”).[1][2]

• (Tokyo) よじゅう [yòjúú] (Heiban – [0])[2]
• IPA^(key): [jo̞ʑɨᵝː]

夜(よ)中(じゅう) • (yojū) ^{←よぢゆう (yodyuu)?}

1. the entire night, the period of time throughout the night