mezzanotte
/ˌmɛd.d͡zaˈnɔt.te/feminine
The Italian word for midnight is mezzanotte.
mezzanotte refers to 12 o'clock at night exactly.
Meaning: 12 o'clock at night exactly (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
mezzanotte is a feminine noun. When you want to say 'at midnight', use the preposition a before the word, forming a mezzanotte. While it is a feminine noun, it is often used without an article when you are expressing a specific time.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌmɛd.dzaˈnɔt.te/. The word has 4 syllables, and the stress is on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italian folklore, mezzanotte is often cited as the magical hour when ghosts appear or witches gather, mirroring the 'witching hour' concept in English.
- Unlike English, which uses 'mid' as a prefix for many times, Italian uses the root mezza for both mezzogiorno (midday) and mezzanotte (midnight), creating a perfect symmetry.
- If you are talking about the very middle of the night in a poetic sense, you might encounter the phrase la notte fonda, though mezzanotte remains the standard for the clock time.
Examples in context
- Ha fino a mezzanotte.You have until midnight.This sentence shows how to express a deadline using mezzanotte.Tatoeba #4226435 by Guybrush88, translation #2835749 by CK
- È quasi mezzanotte qui.It's almost midnight here.This sentence uses mezzanotte to describe the current time.Tatoeba #1100345 by Guybrush88, translation #792415 by CK
- Tom partì a mezzanotte.Tom left at midnight.This sentence shows how to indicate a specific time of departure with mezzanotte.Tatoeba #2480448 by Guybrush88, translation #1024602 by CK
- Alle dodici di notte, ovvero a mezzanotte, salutammo l'anno nuovo.At twelve at night, that is at midnight, we greeted the new year.
- Mi piace fare una passeggiata sotto le stelle proprio alla mezzanotte in punto.I enjoy taking a walk under the stars right at midnight.
- 123 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Chiara are planning a movie marathon.
- FrancescoA che ora finisce il film?What time does the movie end?
- ChiaraFinisce esattamente a mezzanotte.It ends exactly at midnight.
- FrancescoÈ perfetto per andare a dormire.It is perfect for going to sleep.
- ChiaraSì, Chiara è d'accordo con te.Yes, Chiara agrees with you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “midnight” translations and entries mezzanotte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
