mediodía
/medjoˈdia/
The Spanish word for midday/noon is mediodía.
mediodía refers specifically to twelve o'clock in the day when the sun is at its highest point. When you want to indicate that an event occurs at noon or around midday, it is common to use the preposition a before the noun, as in a mediodía.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of medio, meaning middle and día, meaning day.
Which one should you use?
While mediodía refers specifically to the time around 12:00 PM, the word tarde is used for the entire afternoon following that period.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is masculine and is typically used with the definite article el mediodía.
How do you pronounce it?
/medjoˈdia/
Did you know?
- Although mediodía ends in a, which usually signals a feminine noun, it is almost always masculine.
- Depending on the region, mediodía can refer to the largest meal of the day rather than just the time of 12:00 PM.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, the time around mediodía is traditionally associated with the 'siesta', a period of rest after the midday meal.
Examples in context
- El evento comenzará al mediodía en punto.The event will start exactly at noon.
- La reunión está programada para las doce del día.The meeting is scheduled for noon.
- Al mediodía siempre tengo mucha hambre.At noon I am always very hungry.
- Nos vemos exactamente al mediodía.We will see each other exactly at midday.
- El sol brilla con fuerza al mediodía.The sun shines brightly at noon.
Example conversation
María and Javier are making plans to meet for lunch.
- María¿Quieres almorzar conmigo al mediodía?Do you want to have lunch with me at noon?
- JavierSí, me parece perfecto.Yes, that sounds perfect to me.
- MaríaTe espero en el restaurante al mediodía.I will wait for you at the restaurant at midday.
- JavierEstaré allí puntualmente, María.I will be there punctually, María.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mediodía, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
