How to Say “Midnight” in Chinese
Time and dates · HSK 2
"Midnight" in Chinese is 午夜 (wǔ yè). 午夜 (wǔ yè) literally means 'noon-night' and refers to 12 AM specifically; it sounds slightly literary and shows up in news, films, and clock-time contexts. In everyday speech, 半夜 (bàn yè, 'half-night') is far more common and covers any late-night hour, often with a complaining tone: 半夜三更 (bàn yè sān gēng) is an idiom meaning 'in the dead of night.
Primary translation
午夜
wǔ yè
Variants by register
Formal
午夜
wǔ yè
Casual
半夜
bàn yè
When to use it
午夜 (wǔ yè) literally means 'noon-night' and refers to 12 AM specifically; it sounds slightly literary and shows up in news, films, and clock-time contexts. In everyday speech, 半夜 (bàn yè, 'half-night') is far more common and covers any late-night hour, often with a complaining tone: 半夜三更 (bàn yè sān gēng) is an idiom meaning 'in the dead of night.' Don't confuse 午 (noon) with 五 (five); they're homophones (wǔ) that trip up beginners. Taobao's Singles' Day sales famously kick off at 午夜.
Example sentences
现在已经午夜了，快睡吧。
Xiàn zài yǐ jīng wǔ yè le, kuài shuì ba.
It's already midnight, hurry and go to sleep.
他半夜还在工作。
Tā bàn yè hái zài gōng zuò.
He's still working in the middle of the night.
双十一午夜十二点开始抢购。
Shuāng shí yī wǔ yè shí èr diǎn kāi shǐ qiǎng gòu.
The Double 11 shopping rush starts at midnight.