zak1昃

Jyutpingzak1

Yalejāk

Definition

The afternoon, or the sun in the afternoon sky moving past its meridian.

writtentime

How it's used

This character is almost exclusively found in literary or formal contexts, often referring to the specific time when the sun begins to decline. It is rarely used in everyday spoken Cantonese, where people would naturally choose 下晝 or 黃昏 instead. You will mostly encounter it in classical texts, idioms, or poetic descriptions of time.

Examples

jat6日zak1昃zi1之si4時，keoi5佢zung6仲hai2喺dou6度zou6做gan2緊je5嘢。

In the late afternoon, he is still working there.

nei5你hai6係mai6咪daa2打syun3算jat6日zak1昃sin1先ceot1出faat3發aa4呀？

Are you planning to set off only in the late afternoon?

Common phrases

jat6日zak1昃

late afternoon

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a common word because it looks simple, but using it in casual conversation will sound extremely unnatural or pretentious. Stick to standard spoken terms like 下晝 for daily communication.