ling4 san4凌晨
Jyutpingling4 san4
Yalelìhng sàhn
Definition
The early hours of the morning, from midnight until just before dawn.
neutraltime
How it's used
Refers specifically to the hours after midnight but before sunrise, often used to emphasize that an activity is happening at an unusually late or early hour. It is commonly paired with specific times to highlight the lack of sleep or the quietness of the period. Unlike the more general term 夜晚, this word carries a stronger sense of the deep, quiet hours of the night.
Examples
He didn't get home until three in the morning.
Related words
Common phrases
the early hours of the morning
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 夜晚, but 凌晨 strictly refers to the time after midnight. Using it to describe the evening hours before midnight sounds unnatural to native speakers.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
