French Conversation · Level 184
14 words
French word
tombée
Pronunciation
IPA/tɔ̃be/
Meaning
- feminine nounnightfall
Example
La tombée de la nuit arrive vite en automne.
Nightfall comes quickly in autumn.
More examples
À la tombée de la nuit, les lampadaires s'allument.
At dusk, the streetlights come on.
Core concept
A sky changing from late daylight to evening darkness, with the boundary between them slowly disappearing.
Common phrases
à la tombée de la nuit
at dusk
la tombée du jour
dusk
Similar words
soir: The everyday period from late afternoon into evening, including dinner time.
nuit: The dark hours from nightfall until the following morning.
Definition in French
Moment où la lumière du jour diminue et la nuit commence, employé pour décrire la baisse de la luminosité ou l'atmosphère du ciel.
Word origin
The noun tombée derives from tomber and applies the idea of falling to the arrival of darkness at the end of day.
Usage tips
- Tombée is more descriptive and literary than ordinary le soir, especially when naming the onset of night.