notte
/ˈnɔt.te/feminine
Night in Italian is notte.
notte refers to the period between sunset and sunrise. While notte refers to the period of darkness, the compound word buonanotte is the standard way to say 'goodnight' when someone is going to sleep or leaving for the night.
Meaning: period between sunset and sunrise (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In regions like Sicily and Calabria, some locals may use the term notta instead of notte.
How does it change in a sentence?
notte is a feminine noun, so any accompanying adjectives or articles must also be feminine (e.g., la notte, una notte buia). The plural form of notte is notti.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable: /ˈnɔt.te/.
Did you know?
- In Italian culture, a notte bianca or 'white night' does not refer to a lack of sleep due to insomnia, but to a night spent partying or attending cultural festivals until dawn.
- The Italian phrase fare le ore piccole literally means 'to do the small hours' and is the common way to say someone stayed up very late into the notte.
- The word notte is part of the Italian phrase notte fonda, which translates to 'deep night' and is used to mean 'late at night'.
Examples in context
- È già notte qui.It's already night here.This sentence is useful for stating that it is already night in a specific location using notte.Tatoeba #3540136 by Guybrush88, translation #3085837 by weehawken
- La notte è buia.The night is dark.This sentence is useful for describing the night as dark using notte.Tatoeba #11803071 by Guybrush88, translation #1956380 by Spamster
- È scesa la notte.Night came on.This sentence is useful for saying that night has arrived using notte.Tatoeba #13437354 by Guybrush88, translation #323949 by CM
- La conferenza finirà questa notte.The conference will end tonight.
- Ricordati di chiamarmi domani sera.Remember to call me tomorrow night.
- Andiamo a cena stasera?Shall we go out for dinner tonight?
- 1413 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Alessandro are discussing their plans for the evening.
- GiuliaCosa facciamo stasera di notte?What are we doing tonight?
- AlessandroPossiamo guardare le stelle insieme.We can look at the stars together.
- GiuliaSì, l'idea di questa notte è perfetta.Yes, the idea for tonight is perfect.
- AlessandroAllora ci vediamo più tardi, Giulia.Then I'll see you later, Giulia.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “night” translations and entries notte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
