What are the differences between por la noche and de la noche?

Question

Andrés sale de su casa a las 7 por la mañana y vuelve a las 7 por la tarde.

Andrés sale de su casa a las 7 de la mañana y vuelve a las 7 de la tarde.

Do they have the same meaning or anything different?

Answer 1

Both expressions mean the same. You use the one you like the most.

Answer 2

They don't always mean the same, typically de needs a time, and por doesn't. Now, both your sentences seem OK to me, but if I was to say I go out at night, and I didn't want to say exactly what the time is, I would use por.

Por la noche. Now usarenzo has used de noche, and it sounds ok to me too (he's native and I am not so I'm sure it must be right) but I will say I have heard "por la noche" quite a bit for "at night" and usually I hear de with a time and por without. Also, en la noche works but it seems mostly used by Mexican, and I don't hear it too often in Spanish TV shows from Spain etc... although I haven't actually met any people from Spain.

Gracias.

You are right, Jeezle. Trabaja por la noche is correct also. But trabaja de noche is a shortened version. - gone, Feb 14, 2011

Answer 3

In your example they mean the same. Additional examples:

Juan viene por la tarde = Juan viene en la tarde (should not use a here, although some countries use it to mean in the afternoon)

Juan trabaja de noche = Juan trabaja en la noche (I would not use a here either)

Answer 4

Andrés sale de su casa a las 7 por la mañana y vuelve a las 7 por la tarde.

I would say that Andrés would be staying home the rest of the the night,in this case.

Andrés sale de su casa a las 7 de la mañana y vuelve a las 7 de la tarde.

In this case I would say he arrived home,but may go out later.

Answer 5

I concur with jeezzle that en la noche isn't used in Spain. Well, I am going by the fact that I was corrected by my teacher and she told me to say por la noche.