Meaning
The kanji 晩 captures that quiet stretch of time after the sun sets — when families gather for dinner and the pace of the day finally slows. Its core meanings are evening, night, and lateness. Beyond describing the time of day, 晩 extends metaphorically to things that arrive late in a cycle: late in the season (晩秋, late autumn) or late in a person's life (晩年, one's final years). This dual sense — literal evening and figurative lateness — makes 晩 a versatile character that shows up in a surprising variety of contexts.
Structurally, 晩 combines two components. On the left sits the radical 日 (sun, day), signaling a connection to time and light. On the right is 免, a character historically associated with escaping or being released. Think of the sun breaking free from the sky as it drops below the horizon — and in that moment, evening begins. This visual logic gives the kanji a memorable internal story.
晩 is written with 12 strokes and belongs to the secondary school kanji curriculum in Japan, so it falls outside the 1,006 kanji taught in elementary school. It appears on the JLPT N3 exam, placing it at the intermediate level. Its radical, 日, groups it with a family of time-related characters such as 明 (bright, tomorrow) and 昼 (daytime). Recognizing this family helps you guess the meaning of unfamiliar kanji at a glance.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
晩 has one primary on'yomi reading: バン (BAN). This is the reading you will encounter in virtually all compound words and formal contexts. The BAN reading comes from the classical Chinese pronunciation and stays consistent across a wide range of vocabulary. Because 晩 does not have a standard kun'yomi, mastering BAN is all you need to unlock this kanji's full vocabulary set.
Key compound words using the バン reading include:
- 今晩 (konban) — this evening, tonight
- 毎晩 (maiban) — every evening, every night
- 晩ご飯 (bangohan) — dinner, the evening meal
- 晩年 (bannen) — one's later years, twilight years
- 晩秋 (banshuu) — late autumn
- 晩酌 (banshaku) — an evening drink at home
- 晩婚 (bankon) — marrying late in life
Notice how バン appears reliably whenever 晩 joins with another kanji — whether referring to a time of day, a season, or a life stage. One reading, many words.
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
晩 does not have a standard standalone kun'yomi reading in modern Japanese. Unlike many kanji that carry both on'yomi and kun'yomi forms, 晩 appears almost exclusively through its Chinese-derived BAN reading. This simplifies things considerably — there is only one reading to memorize. When Japanese speakers want to express "evening" using native vocabulary, they reach for 夕方 (yuugata) or 夜 (yoru) instead. So put all your focus on BAN and you will be well-prepared.
Common Words & Compounds
晩 turns up in a wide range of everyday Japanese words. Below they are grouped by theme to help you see the patterns and remember them together.
Time of Day & Greetings:
- 今晩 (konban) — this evening, tonight
- 今晩は (konbanwa) — good evening (one of the most common Japanese greetings)
- 毎晩 (maiban) — every evening, every night
Food & Daily Life:
- 晩ご飯 (bangohan) — dinner, the evening meal
- 晩酌 (banshaku) — a drink with dinner at home; a quiet habit many Japanese adults look forward to after work
Seasons & Natural Cycles:
- 晩秋 (banshuu) — late autumn
- 晩夏 (banka) — late summer
- 晩春 (banshun) — late spring
- 晩冬 (bantou) — late winter
Life Stages & Social Trends:
- 晩年 (bannen) — later years of life
- 晩婚 (bankon) — late marriage, the trend of marrying later
- 晩学 (bangaku) — taking up studies later in life
Example Sentences
今晩、いっしょに夕食を食べませんか。
Konban, issho ni yuushoku wo tabemasen ka.
Would you like to have dinner together this evening?
毎晩、日本語を勉強しています。
Maiban, nihongo wo benkyou shite imasu.
I study Japanese every evening.
晩ご飯は何にしますか。
Bangohan wa nani ni shimasu ka.
What will you have for dinner?
こんばんは！元気ですか。
Konbanwa! Genki desu ka.
Good evening! How are you?
父は毎晩晩酌をするのが好きです。
Chichi wa maiban banshaku wo suru no ga suki desu.
My father enjoys having his evening drink every night.
晩秋になると、葉が赤くなります。
Banshuu ni naru to, ha ga akaku narimasu.
When late autumn arrives, the leaves turn red.
あの作家は晩年にすばらしい作品を書きました。
Ano sakka wa bannen ni subarashii sakuhin wo kakimashita.
That author wrote wonderful works in his later years.
最近は晩婚の人が増えています。
Saikin wa bankon no hito ga fuete imasu.
Lately, the number of people who marry later in life has been increasing.
今晩は星がとてもきれいですね。
Konban wa hoshi ga totemo kirei desu ne.
The stars are so beautiful this evening, aren't they?
晩ご飯を食べた後で、いっしょに散歩しましょう。
Bangohan wo tabeta ato de, issho ni sanpo shimashou.
Let's take a walk together after dinner.
Memory Tip
Picture the sun (日) at the end of a long day, straining to escape (免) from the sky. It finally slips below the horizon — and evening begins. That is 晩. You can also work with the sound: BAN rhymes with the idea of a "ban" on daylight. Imagine the sky declaring, "Sunlight is hereby banned!" as darkness falls. So when you spot 日 on the left of a kanji and hear バン, think: "The sun is breaking free — it's evening." Visual shape, core meaning, and pronunciation, all tied together in one image.