Spanish Conversation · Level 11
90 words
Spanish word
noche
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈnotʃe/
Meaning
- feminine nounnight
Example
¿Qué vas a hacer esta noche?
What are you going to do tonight?
More examples
Pasé la noche estudiando para el examen.
I spent the night studying for the exam.
Core concept
Dark hours from sunset to dawn.
Common phrases
esta noche
tonight
por la noche
at night
pasar la noche
spend the night
Similar words
tarde: Afternoon and early-evening period after noon.
medianoche: Moment at or near 00:00, the middle of the night.
madrugada: Pre-dawn window of very early morning hours.
amanecer: Time at first light when the sun begins to rise.
Definition in Spanish
Parte nocturna del día, desde el anochecer hasta la madrugada, usada tanto para el concepto general de noche como para señalar una noche concreta (p. ej. 'esta noche').
Word origin
It comes from Latin nox (genitive noctis) meaning 'night', passing through Old Spanish nocte via regular Romance sound changes to modern noche.
Usage tips
- Buenas noches serves both as an arrival greeting after dark and as a farewell when leaving or going to bed, while buenas tardes is used earlier in the evening.