A beautiful starry night sky over a quiet, peaceful landscape.

noche

/NO-cheh/

NounfA1

night?The period of darkness between sunset and sunrise.

Also:evening?Often used for the later part of the evening, especially for greetings.

📝 In Action

Me gusta mirar las estrellas por la noche.

I like to look at the stars at night.

¡Buenas noches! Que duermas bien.

Good night! Sleep well.

La fiesta es el sábado por la noche.

The party is on Saturday night.

Trabajó toda la noche para terminar el proyecto.

He worked all night to finish the project.

Related Words

Synonyms

oscuridad (darkness)

Antonyms

día (day)

Common Collocations

por la noche – at night / in the evening
de noche – by night
buenas noches – good night / good evening
toda la noche – all night long

Idioms & Expressions

pasar la noche en blanco – to have a sleepless night; to pull an all-nighter
de la noche a la mañana – overnight, very suddenly

💡 Grammar Points

It's Feminine: 'La Noche'

Even though 'día' (day) ends in -a and is masculine, 'noche' is feminine. Always use 'la noche' or 'una noche'.

Using 'Por' vs. 'De'

'Por la noche' means 'at night' in a general sense. 'De noche' often describes activities done at night, like 'trabajar de noche' (to work by night).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Greeting vs. Leaving

Mistake: "Thinking 'buenas noches' is only for saying goodbye."

Correction: Use 'buenas noches' both as a greeting in the evening (like 'good evening') and as a farewell (like 'good night').

⭐ Usage Tips

Talking About 'Last Night'

To say 'last night,' you don't say 'la noche pasada.' Instead, use the special word 'anoche'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: noche

Question 1 of 2

If you meet a friend for dinner at 8 PM, what is the correct greeting?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

anoche(last night) - adverb

medianoche(midnight) - noun

trasnochar(to stay up all night) - verb

nocturno(nocturnal, nightly) - adjective

Nochebuena(Christmas Eve) - noun

Nochevieja(New Year's Eve) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'noche' and 'anoche'?

'Noche' is the general word for 'night.' 'Anoche' is a specific word that means 'last night.' So you would say 'Me gusta la noche' (I like the night), but 'Anoche vi una película' (Last night I saw a movie).

When does 'tarde' (afternoon/evening) become 'noche' (night)?

There's no exact time! It's cultural and depends on when it gets dark. Generally, once the sun has set and it's fully dark, people switch from saying 'buenas tardes' to 'buenas noches'.