Latest hours for la tarde

Question

Hi, all!

I know that la tarde can also be used to mean the evening. How can I know when I can't use "tarde" anymore and that I have to use "noche"? Is there a specific time of the night when "tarde" is no longer legal to use?

Thanks so much in advance!

P.S. You guys here are awsome and a big help! Thank YOU!

I don't think it's ever illegal to say 'tarde'! If you're writing legal documents, use the 24 hor clock, it would be safer if real precicion is needed. - annierats, Jun 27, 2015

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Answer 1

Annie is more or less correct. My native Spanish teacher who comes from Spain told me about the times that they keep in Spain, some time ago in response to one of my questions.

Buenos días = Good mornng (literally: good day) runs from time of waking up 6am onwards up til about 2pm / 2.30 pm

Buenas tardes = Good afternoon from about 2pm until around 8/pm or dinner time

Buenas noches from after dinner or 8-9pm onwards

From my experience of being on holday in Spain especially when I stayed in a hotel in La Manga ,near Cartagena, nearly two years ago, frequented by many native Spanish-speaking guests, this was invariably the case in this country!

Each Spanish-speaking country may be different: ie: there is likely to be regional variations between them in respect to the hours they conisder to be morinig afternnon and night

I hope this helps

Ah, but Spain is such a small part of the Spanish speaking world. - gringojrf, Jun 27, 2015

Yes, Gringo I realize that, but I never claimed that their way of living was typical of all the Spanish-speaking countries regarding the hours but can only speak from my knowledge or experience can't I ? - FELIZ77, Jun 27, 2015

In my Mexican town, *everyone* switches from "Buenos días" to "Buenas tardes" the moment the church bells announce that it's noon. - jtaniel, Jun 27, 2015

Really, Jtaniel? Wow, it just goes to show that many of these different places have their own customs and practices as regards recognising certain hours of the day :) - FELIZ77, Jun 28, 2015

Here is is exactly at noon as well. - gringojrf, Jun 28, 2015

Feliz, I just like to get a dig in here and there at Spain. Sure it is the birthplace of Spanish but the "kids" have taken over the language. Now Spain represents less than 10% of the SPanish speaking world. - gringojrf, Jun 28, 2015

So like the UK is of much lesser importance seeing that the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and others outnumber them? It's not "nice" to take a "dig" at Spain when there are so many of us españoles around. (Even though I am now a US citizen.) - Daniela2041, Jun 28, 2015

Yes. The UK is of much less importance than say 200 years ago. But the UK does not have a Royal Academy of English that tries to regulate the language. - gringojrf, Jun 28, 2015

I agree, Feliz, obviously you have to do as the Romans do, butin Spain everything is late or even later.. As I'venever ben to Latin America, they clearly keep aFrench timetable. The French dine at 12 noon and full stop. - annierats, Jun 28, 2015

I agree with You , Daniela :) - FELIZ77, Jun 28, 2015

Gringo, surely the numbers of people speaking the language in one country compared to anotheris of lesser importance than the fact the language is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world? It is not a competition between different countries - FELIZ77, Jun 28, 2015

speaking the same language! - FELIZ77, Jun 28, 2015

What do you mean by the 'kids' have taken over the language? After all, young people from all generations all over the world have always been finding new ways to express their own language, coining new phrases and helping their own languages to evolve. - FELIZ77, Jun 28, 2015

If it were left to many, much older people in their 70s and older (80+ years old) many langauges would have died out like Latin itself, because many older people are resistant to changes in the way that languages are used the younger people keep the - FELIZ77, Jun 28, 2015

languages alive and evolving, though not everyone necessarily likes to see their own language change. . - FELIZ77, Jun 28, 2015

Thank you, everyone, for all your input! Really appreciate you all! - tesss, Jul 7, 2015

Answer 2

Excellent question without a clear cut answer. Here in Baja sunset seems to the be time of switch over from tarde to noche. As such the time of switch varies throughout the year.

Same in my part of Mexico. - jtaniel, Jun 27, 2015

Answer 3

A lot of people in Spain seem to switch at around 9 pm, it seems to make no difference if it is summer or winter.