Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
In modern English, 'daytime' is almost always written as one word without a hyphen.
- Use 'daytime' (one word) for the period of light between sunrise and sunset. Example: 'I love the daytime.'
- Avoid 'day-time' (hyphenated) as it is considered an outdated or archaic spelling in most modern dictionaries.
- Use 'daytime' as an adjective before nouns without adding a hyphen. Example: 'daytime television' is standard.
Overview
daytime と day-time もその代表例です。一見すると「どちらでもいいのではないか」と思われがちですが、実はこれらは品詞（Part of Speech）が異なり、文章の中での役割が明確に分かれています。daytime と day-time の違いを理解することは、単にスペルの正確さを追求するだけでなく、英語の「名詞」と「形容詞」の構造的な違いを深く理解することに繋がります。daytime と day-time はその典型的な例です。daytime (Closed Compound)daytime は、1つの独立した名詞です。これは「日の出から日没までの時間帯」という概念そのものを指します。日本語で言えば「日中」や「昼間」という名詞そのものです。名詞ですので、文の中で「主語（Subject）」になったり、「目的語（Object）」になったり、あるいは前置詞の後に置かれたりします。- 例：
The daytime is short in winter.（冬は昼間が短い。） - ここでは
daytimeが文の主語になっています。
day-time (Hyphenated Compound Adjective)day-time は、複合形容詞としての役割を担います。これは、後ろに続く名詞を修飾し、「昼間の〜」「日中の〜」という意味を付け加えます。英語のルールでは、2つ以上の単語が組み合わさって1つの形容詞として機能し、かつ名詞の前に置かれる場合、それらがバラバラではなく「セットで1つの意味ですよ」ということを示すためにハイフンを使います。- 例：
a day-time job（昼間の仕事） - ここでは
day-timeがjobという名詞を説明しています。
apple juice）、このようにハイフンを使って形を整えることもあります。特に day-time のように、時間帯を限定して「〜用の」「〜に行われる」と説明したい場合には、ハイフンがあることで読み手は「あ、これは後ろの名詞を説明しているんだな」と瞬時に理解できるのです。daytime（ハイフンなし・1語）- 形:
daytime - 位置: 主語、目的語、前置詞（
in,duringなど）の直後。 - 役割: 「昼間」という時間枠そのものを指す。
I prefer to sleep during the daytime.（私は昼間に寝るのが好きだ。）The daytime passed quickly.（昼間の時間はあっという間に過ぎた。）
day-time（ハイフンあり）- 形:
day-time+ [名詞] - 位置: 必ず修飾したい名詞の前に置く。
- 役割: 後ろの名詞が「昼間の時間帯に属するもの」であることを説明する。
She has a day-time routine.（彼女には昼間のルーティンがある。）We need to check the day-time rates.（昼間の料金を確認する必要がある。）
daytime | 主語・目的語になる | in the daytime, during daytime |day-time | 名詞を修飾する | day-time flight, day-time television |daytime を使う場面（時間帯そのものに焦点を当てる）- 気象や自然現象の話をするとき
daytime を使います。The daytime temperature reaches 40 degrees.（日中の気温は40度に達する。）- 活動する時間を指定するとき
Let's meet in the daytime. と言えます。これは in the morning や at night と同じ使い方です。day-time を使う場面（種類やカテゴリーを区別するとき）- 仕事やシフトの話をするとき
a day-time shift となります。これは仕事の種類を分類しているため、形容詞の形が適切です。- 料金体系（サービス）の話をするとき
day-time rates または day-time prices と表現します。単なる「昼間」ではなく、「昼間用の料金」という限定的な意味になるからです。- テレビやエンタメの話をするとき
day-time television や day-time Emmy Awards（デイタイム・エミー賞）のように呼びます。in the day-time と書いてしまう（ハイフンの誤用）- 間違い:
I'm busy in the day-time. - 正解:
I'm busy in the daytime. - なぜ間違えるのか: 日本語では「昼間」も「昼間の」もあまり区別せずに「昼間」と言うことが多いため、ハイフンを「単なる飾り」や「強調」だと思って、名詞として使う時にも入れてしまいがちです。しかし、前置詞
in theの後ろには名詞が来るのが鉄則です。ハイフン付きのday-timeは形容詞なので、後ろに名詞がない状態でここに置くのは不自然です。
daytime job とハイフンを抜いてしまう（形容詞の形成不全）- 間違い:
I am looking for a daytime job. - 正解:
I am looking for a day-time job. - なぜ間違えるのか: 英語では
apple pieのように名詞を並べて形容詞のように使う「名詞の形容詞的用法」があるため、daytimeもそのまま置けると思ってしまいます。間違いとまでは言えないケースもありますが、特に「夜間（night-time）」と対比させて「昼間の〜」と明確にカテゴリー分けしたい場合は、ハイフンを入れるのが正式なルールです。ハイフンがないと、読み手は一瞬daytimeで意味が完結したのかと誤解し、その後にjobが出てくることで視線の戻り（読み直し）が発生してしまいます。
day time と2語に分けてしまう- 間違い:
The day time is beautiful. - 正解:
The daytime is beautiful. - なぜ間違えるのか: 日本語の「昼」と「時間」を別々に英語にして並べてしまうパターンです。英語の
daytimeはすでに1つの単語として確立された「閉じた複合語」です。2語に分けてしまうと、「日の、時間」というバラバラな印象を与え、非常に幼い表現に見えてしまいます。
daytime と day-time の関係は、他の時間帯や期間を表す言葉にも共通しています。これらをセットで覚えると、英語の「ハイフン・ルール」がより明確になります。nighttime | night-time | night-time entertainment (夜の娯楽) |fulltime (稀) / full time | full-time | a full-time employee (正社員) |part time | part-time | a part-time worker (アルバイト) |long term | long-term | a long-term goal (長期的な目標) |full-time や part-time は、日本人の皆さんにも馴染みがあるはずです。「フルタイムの仕事」と言うときに full-time job とハイフンを入れるのは、full と time が合体して job を説明しているからです。これと全く同じロジックが day-time にも適用されていると考えれば、納得しやすいのではないでしょうか。daytime を形容詞として載せているものもありますが？daytime job のようにハイフンなしで形容詞的に使うことも許容されつつあります。しかし、B1レベルの学習者としては、まずは「名詞は1語、形容詞はハイフン」という基本ルールを守る方が、あらゆる場面で間違いのない、安全で知的な英語になります。day time と2語で書くことは絶対にないのですか？day が「日」、time が「時間」として別々の意味を持つ特殊な文脈（例：Calculate the day, time, and location.「日付、時刻、場所を計算しなさい」）に限られます。「昼間」という意味で使う場合は、必ず daytime（1語）か day-time（ハイフン）のどちらかにしましょう。nighttime も同じルールですか？in the nighttime（名詞）と night-time activities（形容詞）という使い分けになります。セットで覚えておくと、応用範囲が広がりますよ。daytime= 「昼間」というモノ・時間（名詞）。in the daytimeのように使う。day-time= 「昼間の〜」という説明（形容詞）。day-time ratesのように、後ろに名詞を置く。
Usage of 'Daytime' as Noun vs. Adjective
| Function | Position | Example | Common Collocations |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Noun
|
After prepositions (in/during)
|
I sleep in the daytime.
|
in the daytime, during the daytime
|
|
Adjective
|
Before a noun
|
I watch daytime TV.
|
daytime television, daytime temperatures
|
|
Subject
|
Start of a sentence
|
Daytime is for working.
|
Daytime hours, Daytime sky
|
|
Object
|
After a verb
|
I enjoy the daytime.
|
prefer the daytime, enjoy the daytime
|
Meanings
The period of time during the day between dawn and dusk when there is natural light.
Noun: The period of light
Refers to the specific block of time when the sun is up.
“In the daytime, the city is very crowded.”
“He sleeps during the daytime because he works at night.”
Adjective: Occurring during the day
Used to describe things that happen or exist during daylight hours.
“She enjoys watching daytime talk shows.”
“The museum offers daytime tours for students.”
Archaic/Variant: Day-time
An older spelling of the same concept, occasionally found in 19th-century literature.
“The travelers rested in the day-time.”
“Old manuscripts often used the hyphenated day-time.”
Reference Table
| 形 | 品詞 | 役割 | 例文 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
`daytime`
|
名詞
|
太陽が出ている時間帯そのものを指す。
|
Cats often sleep during the `daytime`.
|
|
`day-time`
|
複合形容詞
|
日中に起こる物事（名詞）を説明する。
|
She is looking for a `day-time` job.
|
|
`nighttime`
|
名詞
|
暗い夜の時間帯そのものを指す。
|
The city is quiet during the `nighttime`.
|
|
`night-time`
|
複合形容詞
|
夜間に起こる物事（名詞）を説明する。
|
He enjoys `night-time` photography.
|
|
`day time` (間違い)
|
古い表記
|
今は使いません。1語かハイフンを使おう。
|
I'll see you in the `day time`.
|
|
`daytime` (形容詞的)
|
限定名詞
|
ハイフンなしで使う人もいるけど、ハイフンありが確実！
|
The `daytime` schedule is packed.
|
フォーマル度スペクトル
I am occupied during the daytime hours. (work schedule)
I'm busy in the daytime. (work schedule)
I'm busy during the day. (work schedule)
I'm tied up all day long. (work schedule)
daytime vs. day-time
名詞として（時間そのもの）
- daytime The period with sunlight
形容詞として（何かを説明する）
- day-time Something that happens during the day
daytime (名詞) vs. day-time (形容詞)
どっちを使えばいいの？
後ろにある名詞（jobやshowなど）を説明している？
日の出から日没までの「時間帯」そのものを指している？
使い方の分類
daytime (名詞) を使う時
- • During the daytime
- • I prefer the daytime
- • Daytime is bright
day-time (形容詞) を使う時
- • A day-time meeting
- • Day-time temperatures
- • The day-time schedule
レベル別の例文
I sleep in the daytime.
I sleep during the day.
The daytime is hot.
The hours of light are hot.
I like daytime TV.
I like television shows during the day.
Birds sing in the daytime.
Birds sing when it is light.
It is safer to walk in the daytime.
Walking is safer when there is light.
We have many daytime activities planned.
We have activities for the day.
The daytime sky is blue.
The sky during the day is blue.
She works a daytime job.
She has a job during the day.
Daytime temperatures are expected to rise.
Temperatures during the day will go up.
The museum is only open during the daytime.
The museum closes at night.
I prefer daytime flights because I can see the view.
Flights during the day are better for me.
Most daytime talk shows are quite similar.
TV shows in the afternoon are alike.
The transition from daytime to dusk is beautiful here.
The change from day to evening is nice.
Daytime running lights are mandatory for cars in this country.
Cars must have lights on during the day.
The city's daytime population doubles due to commuters.
More people are in the city during the day.
He struggled to adjust to a daytime schedule after years of night shifts.
Changing to day work was hard.
The artist captured the harshness of the daytime sun.
The painting showed the strong sun.
Daytime nesting habits vary significantly between species.
Animals have different habits during the day.
The film utilizes natural daytime lighting to create a sense of realism.
Real light was used in the movie.
Economic activity during the daytime remains the primary driver of the local market.
Day business is the most important.
The poem juxtaposes the chaotic daytime with the serene night.
The poem compares day and night.
The shift toward closed compounds like 'daytime' reflects a broader orthographic trend.
Writing 'daytime' as one word is part of a trend.
Daytime visibility was severely hampered by the unexpected fog.
You couldn't see well during the day.
The architectural design maximizes daytime illumination through expansive skylights.
The building uses a lot of natural light.
間違えやすい
Learners often use 'daily' when they mean 'during the day'.
Thinking they are separate words because they are two nouns.
Using 'daytime' to refer to the light itself.
よくある間違い
day time
daytime
day-time
daytime
in daytime
in the daytime
daytimes
daytime
a day-time job
a daytime job
during daytime
during the daytime
day time TV
daytime TV
day-time temperatures
daytime temperatures
daily time
daytime
daytime's heat
the daytime heat
day-time
daytime
day time
daytime
day-time running lights
daytime running lights
文型パターン
I usually ___ in the daytime.
The ___ is much better during the daytime.
Daytime ___ can be very ___.
Despite the ___, I prefer to ___ in the daytime.
Real World Usage
Check the daytime schedule for the news.
Daytime highs will reach 25 degrees.
I am looking for a position with daytime hours.
These predators are rarely seen in the daytime.
Can't talk now, too busy in the daytime. Call u tonight!
Ensure daytime running lights are functional.
「名詞の前」のルール
I prefer day-time hours for my shift.
単独で使わないで
in the day-time と文を終えないように気をつけて。 The correct form is in the daytime.
他の言葉も同じルール！
This follows the same logic as a full-time position.
昼と夜のドレスコード
A day-time event usually has a casual dress code.
Smart Tips
Always use 'daytime' as one word. These are the most common places you'll see it.
Think of the sun. The sun is one solid circle. 'Daytime' is one solid word.
Be careful! You might see 'night-time' with a hyphen, but don't let it trick you into hyphenating 'daytime'.
Remember that it doesn't need a hyphen even before a noun, because it's already a single word.
発音
Stress Pattern
The stress is on the first syllable 'DAY'.
Vowel Sounds
Both 'a' and 'i' are long vowels (diphthongs).
Falling intonation
I love the daytime. ↘
Standard statement of fact.
暗記しよう
記憶術
Daytime is like the sun: it's one big, bright thing, so keep it as one big, bright word!
視覚的連想
Imagine the words 'Day' and 'Time' being welded together by a bright sunbeam. The heat is so strong that they melt into a single word: daytime.
Rhyme
When the sun is high and the sky is blue, 'daytime' is one word, through and through.
Story
Once, 'Day' and 'Time' were neighbors with a fence (a hyphen) between them. But they liked each other so much that they tore down the fence and became one single family called 'Daytime'.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Write three sentences about your favorite thing to do when the sun is up, using the word 'daytime' in each one. Check that you haven't used any hyphens!
文化メモ
'Daytime TV' has a specific cultural connotation, often associated with soap operas, talk shows, and game shows aimed at people who are at home during the day.
In many large cities, the 'daytime population' is a key metric for urban planners, as it includes millions of commuters who aren't there at night.
While both use 'daytime', British English is much more likely to keep the hyphen in 'night-time', creating a slight inconsistency in the language.
Derived from Old English 'dæg' (day) and 'tīma' (time).
会話のきっかけ
Do you prefer the daytime or the nighttime?
What are the daytime temperatures like in your city during summer?
If you had to work a night shift, how would you spend your daytime?
How has daytime television changed in your country over the last decade?
日記のテーマ
よくある間違い
Test Yourself
daytime は時間帯を指す名詞だよ。この文は「お店がいつ開いているか」という時間を言いたいから、名詞の形が正解だね。day-time が series（シリーズ）という名詞を説明する形容詞になっているよ。2つの単語をつなぐハイフンが必要だね。day-time を名詞のように使っちゃっているよ。特定の時間帯を指す時は名詞の daytime を使おう。Score: /3
練習問題
8 exercisesI prefer to do my grocery shopping in the ___.
She has a ___ job, so she is home by 6 PM.
Find and fix the mistake:
The day-time temperatures are very high in the desert.
He works during the hours when it is light.
In modern English, 'daytime' should always be hyphenated when used as an adjective.
A: Why do you look so tired? B: I'm not used to working ___; I usually work the night shift.
Sort these: day-time, daytime, day time
1. Daytime, 2. Daily, 3. Daylight
Score: /8
Practice Bank
11 exercisesDo you have any ___ appointments available this week?
The flowers will only bloom if they get enough sunlight during the ___.
正しい文を選んでね：
正しい文を選んでね：
Her new medication has to be taken in the daytime.
What is the building's daytime phone number?
英語に訳してね： '昼間のテレビ番組はキャンセルされました。'
英語に訳してね： '私は日中の静けさが好きです。'
単語を並べ替えて文を作ってね：
単語を並べ替えて文を作ってね：
それぞれの役割をマッチさせてね：
Score: /11
よくある質問 (10)
It's not 'wrong' in a way that people won't understand, but it's very old-fashioned. Modern dictionaries like Oxford and Merriam-Webster list it as 'daytime' (one word).
English is inconsistent! 'Daytime' became a single word faster than 'night-time' did. Some people use 'nighttime' as one word too, but 'night-time' remains common in the UK.
It's much more natural to say 'in the daytime' or 'during the daytime'. Without 'the', it sounds a bit like 'telegraphese' or a newspaper headline.
Technically, you can use it to mean 'on various occasions during the day,' but it's very rare. Stick to 'in the daytime'.
No. Unlike 'well-known' or 'fast-acting', 'daytime' is a closed compound noun that acts as an adjective. It doesn't need a hyphen.
'Daytime' is the time (e.g., 2 PM). 'Daylight' is the light itself. You can't have 'daytime' in a windowless room, but you can still be in the 'daytime' period!
Yes, it is the standard spelling in all major varieties of English, including British, American, Canadian, and Australian.
Stress the first part: **DAY**-time. The 'time' part is shorter and has less emphasis.
No, it's a noun or an adjective. To use it like an adverb, you need a preposition: 'He works *in the* daytime.'
It's neutral! You can use it in a text to a friend or in a scientific report about animal behavior.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
el día / durante el día
Spanish uses a phrase; English uses a single compound word.
la journée
French has a specific single noun; English joins two nouns.
die Tageszeit
German adds an 's' (genitive) between the words; English does not.
昼間 (hiruma)
Japanese uses kanji compounds; English uses Latin script compounds.
وقت النهار (waqt al-nahar)
Arabic is always two words; English is one.
白天 (báitiān)
Chinese characters are always the same size; English words change length when joined.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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ハイフンの使い方は？名詞と形容詞の違いを解説
Atsueigo
英語の複合形容詞（ハイフン）のルールを10分でマスター
ニック式英会話
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