noche
/ˈnot͡ʃe/
In Spanish, night time is noche.
noche refers to the period of time from sunset to sunrise when it is dark outside. To express the general idea of 'at night' or 'during the night time', the prepositional phrase por la noche is the standard choice.
Which one should you use?
While por la noche is the standard way to say 'at night', the phrase en la noche is also used to mean the same thing, particularly in Latin America. Additionally, if you specifically mean the adverb 'last night', you should use anoche instead of noche.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The phrase en la noche is commonly used in Latin America to mean 'at night'.
How does it change in a sentence?
noche is a feminine noun. When referring to the time of day, it is almost always used with the definite article la, as in la noche.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈnotʃe/
Did you know?
- Spanish has a specific word trasnochar which means to stay awake or stay up late into the noche.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, buenas noches is used as both a greeting when arriving and a farewell when leaving during the night time.
- While 'noche' refers to the darkness, the Spanish word for 'evening' is often replaced by 'tarde' until the sun actually sets.
Examples in context
- Los trenes son menos frecuentes en la noche.The trains are less frequent at night time.This sentence shows how the word noche is used when discussing the frequency of trains.Tatoeba #3362281 by carlosalberto, translation #3366262 by roobarb
- durante la nocheAt night / overnight / at night timeThis phrase is used to express the concept of 'at night' or 'overnight'.
- Me encanta caminar bajo las estrellas en la noche.I love walking under the stars at night.
- Vamos a pasarla bien esta noche, ¿no crees?We're going to have a great time tonight, don't you think?
- ¡Quédate conmigo para disfrutar de esta nochecita mágica!Stay with me to enjoy this magical little night!
- La noche está muy fría hoy.The night is very cold today.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are talking about their plans for the evening.
- Elena¿Qué vas a hacer esta noche?What are you going to do tonight?
- JavierVoy a estudiar para el examen.I am going to study for the exam.
- ElenaEspero que tengas una buena noche.I hope you have a good night.
- JavierGracias, Elena. ¡Igualmente!Thanks, Elena. You too!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry noche, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
