crépuscule
/kʁe.pys.kyl/masculine
The English phrase evening can be translated into French as crépuscule or soir.
Meaning: time of day between dusk and night (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| crépuscule | /kʁe.pys.kyl/ | masculine |
| soir | /swaʁ/ (Europe) /swɑːʁ/ (Canada, French, standard) |
masculine |
The term refers to the time of day between dusk and night.
Which one should you use?
Soir is the standard, everyday word used to refer to the evening as a period of time. In contrast, crépuscule specifically refers to the twilight or the period of light when the sun is below the horizon.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'this evening', use the demonstrative adjective ce with soir.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /kʁe.pys.kyl/ and has 3 syllables.
When do people say it?
When greeting someone in the evening, instead of using soir alone, it is standard to use the compound word bonsoir.
Did you know?
- In French, the word crépuscule is used for both dawn and dusk, as it refers to any period of twilight.
- The word crépuscule is a phonetic relative of the English word 'crepuscular', used by biologists to describe animals active at dawn and dusk.
- The French word soir is a direct descendant of the Latin word sērus, which meant 'late'.
Examples in context
- Soir, ça va ?Evening! All right?This example shows how to use soir as a greeting.Tatoeba #1114539 by sacredceltic, translation #11097720 by sundown
- Je pars ce soir.I leave this evening.This example shows how to use soir to indicate when an action occurs.Tatoeba #5155946 by Ceriz, translation #2436103 by AlanF_US
- Je la vois ce soir.I'm seeing her this evening.This example shows how to use soir to indicate when someone is seen.Tatoeba #1340795 by sacredceltic, translation #243266 by CK
- Bonne soirée!Have a good evening!
- 405 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are watching the sunset together.
- LéaLe crépuscule est vraiment magnifique aujourd'hui.The twilight is truly magnificent today.
- NathanOui, j'adore les couleurs du ciel.Yes, I love the colors of the sky.
- LéaC'est mon moment préféré du crépuscule.It is my favorite moment of the evening.
- NathanMoi aussi, c'est très apaisant.Me too, it's very soothing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “evening” translations and entries crépuscule, soir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries crépuscule, soir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
