pomeriggio
/po.meˈrid.d͡ʒo/
The Italian phrase for pm is pomeriggio.
pomeriggio refers to the afternoon.
Which one should you use?
While pomeriggio refers to the afternoon, mattina is used to refer to the morning (AM).
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify a time in the afternoon (like '5 PM'), Italians use the construction alle [hour] del pomeriggio.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 3rd syllable: /po.meˈrid.dʒo/.
Did you know?
- The Italian concept of pomeriggio is closely tied to the riposo, a traditional midday break where many shops close their doors for several hours.
- The word pomeriggio is a direct descendant of the Latin phrase 'post meridiem', which literally means 'after noon'.
- Unlike the English 'PM' which is often used in digital 12-hour formats, Italians more commonly use the 24-hour clock in official settings, making the word pomeriggio more common in speech than in written schedules.
Examples in context
- Sami ha portato fuori il suo cane alle sei del pomeriggio.Sami took his dog out at six PM.This sentence is useful for seeing how to specify a time of day using the form pomeriggio.Tatoeba #10763477 by Bethanielle, translation #7070448 by OsoHombre
- Di solito lavoro dalle 9 del mattino alle 5 del pomeriggio, ma oggi ho lavorato fino alle 10 di sera.I usually work from 9 AM to 5 PM, but today I worked until 10 PM.This sentence demonstrates how to express a range of time using the form pomeriggio.Tatoeba #13912856 by unforgiven95, translation #3695353 by trieuho
- La riunione sarà alle 3 del pomeriggio.The meeting will be at 3 PM.
- Ci incontriamo al cinema alle 4 del pomeriggio?Shall we meet at the cinema at 4 PM?
- Ci vediamo nel tardo pomeriggio.See you in the late afternoon.
Example conversation
Martina and Alessandro are discussing a meeting time over the phone.
- MartinaA che ora ci vediamo questo pomeriggio?What time are we meeting this afternoon?
- AlessandroPossiamo vederci alle tre del pomeriggio.We can meet at three in the afternoon.
- MartinaVa bene, ci vediamo allora.Okay, see you then.
- AlessandroPerfetto, a dopo, Martina.Perfect, see you later, Martina.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry pomeriggio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pomeriggio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
