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tarde

TAR-dehˈtaɾde

afternoon

Also: evening
NounfA1
SpainLatin America
A park scene bathed in warm, golden afternoon light, showing long shadows cast by trees and a few people enjoying the late day.

📝 In Action

Nos vemos esta tarde.

A1

See you this afternoon.

Buenas tardes, ¿cómo está?

A1

Good afternoon, how are you?

Paso la tarde leyendo en el parque.

A2

I spend the afternoon reading in the park.

Word Connections

Antonyms

  • mañana (morning)
  • noche (night)

Common Collocations

  • por la tarde – in the afternoon
  • buenas tardes – good afternoon
  • a media tarde – in the mid-afternoon

Idioms & Expressions

  • de tarde en tarde – every now and then; once in a while

late

A disappointed figure standing on an empty platform watching a brightly colored train rapidly pull away into the distance, illustrating having arrived too late.

📝 In Action

¡Es tarde! Tenemos que irnos.

A1

It's late! We have to go.

El tren llegó tarde otra vez.

A1

The train arrived late again.

Más vale tarde que nunca.

B1

Better late than never.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • llegar tarde – to arrive late
  • hacerse tarde – to get late
  • ser tarde – to be late
  • demasiado tarde – too late

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "tarde" in Spanish:

afternoon→evening→late→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: tarde

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'tarde' to mean 'afternoon'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
tardar(to take time, to be late) — Verb
atardecer(dusk, sunset) — Noun
tardanza(delay, lateness) — Noun
tardío(late, belated) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes directly from the Latin adverb 'tarde', which meant 'slowly' or 'late'. The meaning of 'afternoon' developed from the idea of it being the 'late' part of the day.

First recorded: Around the 10th century.

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: tardeItalian: tardiFrench: tard

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

'Tarde' is the afternoon and early evening, usually while there is still daylight. 'Noche' is night, when it's dark. You greet people with 'buenas tardes' until dusk, and then you switch to 'buenas noches'.

How do I say 'too late' in Spanish?

You say 'demasiado tarde'. For example, 'Ahora es demasiado tarde para salir' means 'Now it's too late to go out'.

Can 'tarde' be an adjective?

No, 'tarde' itself is not used as an adjective. You wouldn't say 'un tren tarde'. Instead, you'd say 'un tren que llegó tarde' (a train that arrived late). If you want to describe a person who is habitually late, you can use the informal words 'tardón' or 'tardona'.