Boa noite
polite, evening and night
In Portugal "good evening" is Boa noite. There is no separate word for evening, so the same phrase covers the evening and the night. It is also called Boa tarde.
Meaning: greeting in the evening (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | Note |
|---|---|
| Boa noite | polite, evening and night |
| Boa tarde | polite, late afternoon |
People switch from Boa tarde to Boa noite when the daylight goes, roughly around dinner time. At a restaurant door both are heard.
Which one should you use?
Boa noite works both as a greeting and a farewell in the evening. English speakers sometimes expect a separate "evening" phrase, but Portuguese has none.
Did you know?
- In Portuguese dinner is often eaten late, so Boa noite is heard from about seven or eight in the evening.
Examples in context
- Boa noite, tenho uma reserva.Good evening, I have a reservation.
- Boa noite a todos!Good evening, everyone!
- Boa noite, até amanhã.Good evening, see you tomorrow.
Example conversation
Gonçalo arrives at a restaurant in Porto and speaks to the host, Dona Helena.
- GonçaloBoa noite. Tenho uma mesa para duas pessoas.Good evening. I have a table for two.
- Dona HelenaBoa noite. Em nome de quem?Good evening. Under what name?
- GonçaloGonçalo Pires.Gonçalo Pires.
