Late, too late, and good night — one step past the mark

Where the picture shows up in 晚

1. 1

   late in the day

   现在太晚了，明天再说。

   xiànzài tài wǎn le, míngtiān zài shuō

   It's too late now — let's talk tomorrow.

   The window is already black, a file closes, the desk lamp clicks off

2. 2

   arriving late

   对不起，我晚了十分钟。

   duìbuqǐ, wǒ wǎn le shí fēnzhōng

   Sorry, I'm ten minutes late.

   The door opens onto a meeting where the talking has been going a while

3. 3

   pushed back

   能不能晚一点来？

   néng bu néng wǎn yìdiǎn lái

   Could you come a bit later?

   A finger slides the appointment rightward across the calendar

   晚一点 means 'a bit later'

4. 4

   too late to act

   现在去已经晚了。

   xiànzài qù yǐjīng wǎn le

   It's already too late to go now.

   Arriving out of breath in front of a shutter that has already come down

5. 5

   goodnight

   晚安，明天见。

   wǎn'ān, míngtiān jiàn

   Good night, see you tomorrow.

   A hand waving through the closing gap of a door as the light goes out

   The tail end of the day became the greeting itself