tarde
/ˈtaɾde/feminine
The Spanish word for afternoon is tarde.
As a noun, tarde refers to the part of the day between noon and evening. It can also function as an adverb meaning late. For greetings, the standard phrase is buenas tardes, which is used from noon until sunset.
Meaning: part of the day between noon and evening (noun)
Which one should you use?
While tarde refers to the afternoon, the word mañana is used to refer to the morning.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and parts of Central America, it is common to use buena tarde instead of buenas tardes to mean good afternoon.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun tarde is feminine, so it is used with feminine articles like la or esta.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtaɾde/
When do people say it?
When greeting people in the afternoon, the standard expression is buenas tardes.
Did you know?
- The word tarde shares its Latin ancestor, tardē, with the English word 'tardy', which describes someone who is slow or late.
- Unlike English, which separates 'afternoon' and 'evening', tarde covers both periods until it is dark enough to say buenas noches.
- While buenas tardes is the standard greeting, using the singular buena tarde in Mexico is often perceived as more formal or polite.
Examples in context
- Pasaos por la tarde.Do it this afternoon.This sentence is useful for suggesting a time to do something using tarde.Tatoeba #8195115 by arh, translation #13221635 by jiraixu
- Él vendrá esta tarde.He will come this afternoon.This sentence shows how to express that someone will arrive during the tarde.Tatoeba #633538 by Shishir, translation #296197 by CK
- ¿Cómo estuvo tu tarde?How was your afternoon?This sentence is a way to ask how someone's tarde was.Tatoeba #1286348 by marcelostockle, translation #953355 by CK
- Buenas tardes, señor. ¿Cómo está usted hoy?Good afternoon, sir. How are you today?
- Buenas tardes, estimado Juan.Good afternoon, dear Juan
- Hola, buenas tardes. ¿Qué tal estás?Hi, good afternoon. How are you?
- Buena tarde, ¿en qué puedo ayudarte hoy?Good afternoon, how can I help you today?
- Buenas tardes, ¿cómo le va, señora García?Good afternoon, how's it going, Mrs. García?
- 368 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are talking on the phone about their plans.
- SofíaHablamos esta tarde.We will talk this afternoon.
- DanielVale, me parece bien.Okay, that sounds good to me.
- Sofía¿Tienes libre la tarde?Are you free in the afternoon?
- DanielSí, estaré disponible.Yes, I will be available.
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.
