hier soir
The English phrase 'last night' is translated into French as hier soir.
The term hier soir is used to refer to the previous evening or the early part of the night. If you are describing something that happened during the late-night hours or while people were sleeping, you might instead use la nuit dernière or la nuit passée. For example, hier soir à minuit means 'last night at midnight', while la nuit dernière à 3 heures means 'last night at 3 o'clock'.
Meaning: previous evening or night (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase hier soir literally translates to 'yesterday evening'.
Which one should you use?
Use hier soir when referring to the evening or the time around dinner. In contrast, use la nuit dernière to refer specifically to the period of sleep, the late-night hours or to emphasize the duration of the night and events occurring while people were sleeping.
Related words
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying la dernière nuit to mean 'last night'. In French, la dernière nuit typically means 'the final night' of a specific period, such as the last night of a trip.
Did you know?
- In French, the transition from soir to nuit is often marked by the greeting used. You say bonsoir when arriving in the evening, but bonne nuit only when someone is actually going to sleep.
- The word soir originates from the Latin word sērus, which did not mean 'evening' but rather 'late'.
- In French, the distinction between soir and nuit is more about social activity and light than just the clock, which is why hier soir is the standard for social contexts.
Examples in context
- J'ai étudié hier soir.I studied last night.This sentence shows how to use hier soir to indicate when a study session occurred.Tatoeba #504687 by qdii, translation #244877 by CK
- J'ai trop bu, hier soir.I had too much to drink last night.This sentence uses hier soir to specify when someone drank too much.Tatoeba #2431911 by sacredceltic, translation #2331896 by CK
- Elle pleurait hier soir.She was crying last night.This sentence demonstrates the use of hier soir when describing a past emotional state.Tatoeba #4765027 by sacredceltic, translation #954264 by CK
- Hier soir, nous avons dîné dans un restaurant chic.Last night, we dined at an elegant restaurant.
- Je me suis couché tôt hier soir.I went to bed early last night.
- Elle a regardé un film intéressant hier soir.She watched an interesting movie last night.
- La nuit dernière, j'ai rêvé de toi.Last night, I dreamt of you.
- La nuit dernière, la fête était incroyable!Last night, the party was amazing!
- Hier au soir, on est sortis avec des amis.Last night, we went out with friends.
- 325 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are talking at a café the next morning.
- GabrielTu as bien dormi après hier soir ?Did you sleep well after last night?
- LéaOui, j'ai dormi comme un bébé.Yes, I slept like a baby.
- GabrielC'est vrai, il faisait très calme hier soir.True, it was very calm last night.
- LéaGabriel, tu avais raison, c'était parfait.Gabriel, you were right, it was perfect.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “last night” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hier, soir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
