tarde
/ˈtaɾde/
The Spanish word for evening is tarde.
tarde refers to the time of day between dusk and night.
Meaning: time of day between dusk and night (noun)
Which one should you use?
In Spanish, tarde is used for both 'afternoon' and 'evening'. While tarde covers the period from midday to dusk, noche is used once it is dark or for the late night hours.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun tarde is feminine, so it takes the feminine article la.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtaɾde/
Did you know?
- The root of tarde is the Latin 'tardē', which is why it shares a common ancestor with English words like 'tardy'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the 'evening' or 'tarde' is a social peak, whereas in English-speaking cultures, the evening is often seen as a time for winding down.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, la tarde extends much later than in English, as dinner is often eaten long after the sun has set.
Examples in context
- La veré esta tarde.I'm seeing her this evening.This example shows how to use tarde when referring to a future meeting later this evening.Tatoeba #740722 by Shishir, translation #243266 by CK
- Llevó toda la tarde.It took all evening.This sentence uses tarde to describe the duration of an event through the evening.Tatoeba #1685897 by teskmon, translation #268897 by CK
- Esta tarde va a llover.It's going to rain this evening.This example demonstrates how to use tarde when predicting weather for the upcoming evening.Tatoeba #720484 by Shishir, translation #243259 by CK
- Nos vemos esta tarde.See you this evening.
- Disfrutemos del anochecer juntos.Let's enjoy the evening together.
- 89 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are meeting at a cafe.
- DanielHola, Sofía. ¿Cómo estuvo tu tarde?Hello, Sofía. How was your afternoon/evening?
- SofíaFue muy tranquila, Daniel.It was very quiet, Daniel.
- Daniel¿Quieres tomar un café esta tarde?Do you want to drink a coffee this afternoon/evening?
- SofíaSí, me encantaría.Yes, I would love to.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 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.
