Which one should you use?
While tarde is the noun for "afternoon", it can also function as an adjective meaning "late", so pay attention to the context of your sentence.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Northeast region of Brazil, you may commonly hear variations such as boa tarde, moço (good afternoon, lad) or boa tarde, patrão/patroa (good afternoon, boss).
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "in the afternoon" or "this afternoon," use the contraction à tarde, which combines the preposition a and the feminine article a.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables with the stress on the first syllable: /ˈtaʁ.dʒi/.
When do people say it?
When greeting people, the phrase boa tarde is typically used from midday until early evening. Depending on the region, speakers might add terms of address like moço, patrão or patroa to their greeting.
Did you know?
- The Portuguese word tarde is a linguistic relative of the English word 'tardy'. Both words trace their origins back to the Latin adjective tardus, meaning 'late'.
- In Brazil, the greeting boa tarde is often paired with patrão or patroa, meaning 'boss'. This is used as a respectful or friendly term for strangers, regardless of whether they are actually your employer.
- The contraction à tarde uses a grave accent to signal a 'crase', which is the fusion of two 'a' sounds. This is a specific Portuguese grammar oddity that does not exist in Spanish or English.
Examples in context
- Vou sair à tarde.I'm going to go out this afternoon.This sentence shows how to use tarde with the contraction à tarde to mean "this afternoon".Tatoeba #4616149 by Ricardo14, translation #707445 by papabear
- Boa tarde a todos!Good afternoon everybody!This sentence demonstrates the use of tarde within a common afternoon greeting.Tatoeba #5551070 by carlosalberto, translation #5551071 by carlosalberto
- Até amanhã à tarde.See you tomorrow afternoon.This sentence shows how to specify a time of day using tarde.Tatoeba #4936961 by carlosalberto, translation #1898252 by CK
- Desejo-lhe uma boa tarde.Wishing you a good afternoon.
- Tenha uma tarde boa.Have a good afternoon.
- Boa tarde, como posso ajudá-lo?Good afternoon, how can I assist you?
- Oi, boa tarde! Que bom te ver por aqui.Hi, good afternoon! Nice to see you here.
- Tenha uma ótima tarde!Have a great afternoon!
- 421 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Beatriz and Lucas are talking about their work schedules at a café.
- BeatrizVocê tem muito trabalho hoje à tarde?Do you have a lot of work this afternoon?
- LucasSim, a minha tarde será muito ocupada.Yes, my afternoon will be very busy.
- BeatrizEu também estarei ocupada com as reuniões.I will also be busy with meetings.
- LucasEntão nos falamos amanhã!Then we'll talk tomorrow!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “afternoon” translations and entries tarde, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tarde, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
