三更半夜
sān gēng bàn yè
in the dead of night; at an ungodly hour
Character by character
三sān
third
third
更gēng
watch
watch
半bàn
half
half
夜yè
night
night
Example
你三更半夜不睡觉，在客厅里干什么呢？
What are you doing in the living room at this hour of the night?
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
更 (gēng) is a night watch; the third of five fell around midnight. 深更半夜 means the same. Often a complaint about noise or late calls.
Learn this in Lesson 214 · HSK 9+: 生肖与干支 (The zodiac and the sixty-year cycle)
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