noche de cita
/not͡ʃe de θita/from spelling rules
The English phrase "date night" is translated into Spanish as noche de cita.
noche de cita is a literal translation used to describe a planned evening where a romantic couple spends time together outside of their usual routine. However, in many Spanish-speaking contexts, people simply say una cita to refer to the event itself.
Which one should you use?
If you want to specify that the evening is romantic to avoid confusion with a business appointment, use una cita romántica.
How do you pronounce it?
/notʃe de θita/
Did you know?
- The word cita is also used in Spanish to refer to a quotation from a book or a speaker. A romantic date and a literary quote share the same name.
- The word cita comes from the verb citar, which means 'to summon' or 'to call upon', much like how a lawyer might summon a witness in court.
- Because cita is the standard word for a medical or business appointment, saying tengo una cita without context often implies a doctor's visit rather than romance.
Examples in context
- Vayamos a una salida romántica esta nocheLet's have a romantic outing tonight.
Example conversation
A couple is talking about their schedule for the week.
- MaríaDaniel, ¿recuerdas que hoy es nuestra noche de cita?Daniel, do you remember that today is our date night?
- DanielEs verdad, María. Lo siento, lo olvidé.That's true, María. I'm sorry, I forgot.
- María¿Quieres ir al cine o a cenar?Do you want to go to the cinema or have dinner?
- DanielVayamos a cenar para celebrar.Let's go to dinner to celebrate.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cita, de, noche, CC BY-SA 4.0.
