‘昨宵’ is a classical and literary term meaning ‘last night’. It combines two characters: 昨 (zuó), meaning ‘yesterday’, and 宵 (xiāo), meaning ‘night’ or ‘evening’. Together, they form a compact, poetic expression for the night preceding today — equivalent to ‘last night’ but with elevated register. Unlike the modern, colloquial ‘昨晚’ (zuó wǎn), ‘昨宵’ appears almost exclusively in formal writing, classical poetry, historical novels, or lyrical speech.

This term evokes nostalgia, melancholy, or solemn reflection — common in Tang and Song dynasty verse. It is rarely used in spoken Mandarin or casual conversation; learners should recognize it in literary contexts but avoid using it in everyday speech unless aiming for deliberate stylistic effect. Its structure follows classical Chinese word formation: monosyllabic roots combined without particles, preserving concision and rhythm.