Inklingo

atardecer

ah-tar-deh-sehrataɾðeˈseɾ

atardecer means sunset in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

sunsetAlso: dusk, late afternoon

NounmA1
A large orange sun dipping below the calm ocean horizon with pink and purple clouds.

📝 In Action

Vimos un atardecer precioso en la playa.

A1

We saw a beautiful sunset at the beach.

Me gusta salir a caminar al atardecer.

A2

I like to go out for a walk at sunset.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • puesta de sol (sunset)
  • crepúsculo (twilight)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • al atardecerat sunset / at dusk
  • un atardecer rojizoa reddish sunset

to get darkAlso: to become evening

VerbB1irregular (-zc- change) er
A cozy house with glowing yellow windows under a deep dark blue evening sky with a few stars.
gerundatardeciendo
past Participleatardecido
infinitiveatardecer

📝 In Action

En invierno atardece muy temprano.

A2

In winter, it gets dark very early.

Estábamos viajando cuando empezó a atardecer.

B1

We were traveling when it started to become evening.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yoatardeciera
atardecieras
él/ella/ustedatardeciera
nosotrosatardeciéramos
vosotrosatardecierais
ellos/ellas/ustedesatardecieran

Present Subjunctive

yoatardezca
atardezcas
él/ella/ustedatardezca
nosotrosatardezcamos
vosotrosatardezcáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesatardezcan

Indicative

Preterite

yoatardecí
atardeciste
él/ella/ustedatardeció
nosotrosatardecimos
vosotrosatardecisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesatardecieron

Imperfect

yoatardecía
atardecías
él/ella/ustedatardecía
nosotrosatardecíamos
vosotrosatardecíais
ellos/ellas/ustedesatardecían

Present

yoatardezco
atardeces
él/ella/ustedatardece
nosotrosatardecemos
vosotrosatardecéis
ellos/ellas/ustedesatardecen

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "atardecer" in Spanish:

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: atardecer

Question 1 of 2

Which of these means 'at sunset'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology

Comes from the prefix 'a-' (moving toward) joined with 'tarde' (afternoon/late) and the ending '-ecer' (to become).

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: entardecer

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'atardecer' and 'anochecer'?

'Atardecer' is when the sun goes down (sunset/late afternoon), while 'anochecer' is when it actually becomes night and is completely dark.

Is it 'el atardecer' or 'la atardecer'?

It is always 'el atardecer'. Most Spanish nouns ending in -er derived from verbs are masculine.