sera
/ˈse.ra/feminine
The Italian word for evening is sera.
sera is a feminine noun used to refer to the time of day between dusk and night.
Meaning: time of day between dusk and night (noun)
Which one should you use?
While sera refers to the time of day, use serata when you want to refer to the duration or the quality of an evening, such as describing a lovely evening. Use sera for the time itself and pomeriggio for the afternoon.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express a recurring time, such as saying 'I study in the evening', use the prepositional phrase di sera.
How do you pronounce it?
{'ipa': '/ˈse.ra/', 'syllables': 2, 'stressed_syllable': '1 of 2'}
When do people say it?
To say 'good evening', the most common phrase to use is Buonasera.
Did you know?
- While Buonasera is used to greet people in the evening, it is also used as a way to say 'goodbye' when leaving a place during the evening hours.
- In Italy, the 'evening' phase often begins with l'aperitivo, a ritual of pre-dinner drinks and light snacks that marks the transition from work to leisure.
- The word sera is actually a shortened form of the Latin phrase sēra diēs, which literally translates to 'late day'.
Examples in context
- Che fa la sera?What does she do in the evening?This sentence is useful for asking about someone's activities during the evening using sera.Tatoeba #8704553 by Guybrush88, translation #324672 by CH
- Non è ancora sera.It's not evening yet.This sentence is useful for stating that it is not yet evening using sera.Tatoeba #2582140 by Guybrush88, translation #1396298 by CM
- Io scrivo ogni sera.I write every evening.This sentence is useful for describing a regular evening habit using sera.Tatoeba #4867961 by Guybrush88, translation #4867934 by sundown
- Buonasera, signore. Come posso aiutarla oggi?Good evening, sir. How can I assist you today?
- Buona sera! Sei pronto per andare a cena?Good evening! Are you ready to go for dinner?
- 457 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Chiara are meeting at a cafe.
- LorenzoBuonasera, Chiara.Good evening, Chiara.
- ChiaraCiao Lorenzo, come stai?Hi Lorenzo, how are you?
- LorenzoBene, grazie. È una bella sera.Good, thanks. It is a beautiful evening.
- ChiaraSì, hai ragione.Yes, you are right.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “evening” translations and entries sera, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sera, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
