In Portuguese, as in many languages, the day is divided into distinct segments corresponding to various times and routines. This article will help you navigate the terminology related to these parts of the day.

Companion read

Related

Articles

Lessons

Blanks

Parts of the Day

In Portuguese, the day is generally divided into three parts:

• a manhã (morning)
• a tarde (afternoon)
• a noite (night)

Notice that Portuguese doesn’t have a direct translation of “evening.” Falling somewhere between afternoon and night, “evening” can be conveyed by either “tarde” or “night” depending on the context. 

For instance, during summer, when days are longer, it is quite usual to greet “good evening” at  7 pm with “boa tarde”. 

In winter, however, it will be dark by 7 pm and we will most likely greet “good evening” with “boa noite” instead.

Other common expressions conveying key transitional moments during the day are:

• o amanhecer; a aurora; a alvorada (dawn)
• o meio-dia (noon)
• o entardecer; a tardinha (entering the evening, early dusk)
• o anoitecer; o lusco-fusco (just before getting dark, late dusk)
• a meia-noite (midnight)

Here are a few examples:

Acordo todos os dias ao amanhecer.
I wake up every day at dawn.

Costumo comer ao meio-dia.
I usually eat at midday.

Gosto de dar caminhadas na praia ao entardecer.
I like to go for walks on the beach at dusk.

Volto para casa do trabalho quase sempre ao anoitecer.
I almost always get home from work at dusk.

À meia-noite já estou a dormir.
I’m asleep by midnight.

Parts of the Day in Greetings

It is common to use parts-of-the-day expressions when greeting people:

• Bom dia (Good morning)
• Boa tarde (Good afternoon/evening) 
• Boa noite (Good evening/night)

Notice that “Good morning” in Portuguese uses the word “dia” (day), not “manhã” (morning).

Also, as already mentioned before, “Boa tarde” can convey either “Good afternoon” or “Good evening” depending on the time of the day it’s said and whether or not it is dark outside. 

Likewise, “Boa noite” can convey both “Good evening” and “Good night”:

Boa noite e bem-vindos ao espetáculo.
Good evening and welcome to the show.

Vou-me deitar. Boa noite.
I am going to bed. Good night.

Temporal Contextualization

Here’s how we time-contextualize conversations with parts of the day. Pay special attention to the prepositions preceding the parts of the day:

• de manhã (in the morning)
• à tarde (in the afternoon)
• à tardinha (in the evening)
• à noite (in the evening, at night)

When it feels right to say “in the evening” and it’s not dark yet outside, go with “à tardinha”. If it’s dark, say “à noite” instead.

Here are a few sentence examples:

A Carla treina sempre de manhã.
Carla always works out in the morning.

Eu costumo dormir uma sesta à tarde.
I usually take a nap in the afternoon.

Nós gostamos de dar uma caminhada à tardinha pelo pôr do sol.
We like to take an evening walk at sunset.

À noite prefiro ficar em casa a ler um livro.
At night I prefer to stay at home and read a book.

Note that these time-contextualization expressions will look slightly different when saying the time (e.g. 8 am vs 8 pm). In this context, we always use the preposition “da” (contraction de+a) preceding the part of the day:

• da manhã (in the morning)
• da tarde (in the afternoon, in the evening)
• da noite (in the evening, at night)

Here are a few examples:

O Alfredo chega amanhã às nove da manhã.
Alfredo arrives tomorrow at 9 am.

Eu costumo almoçar pela uma da tarde.
I usually have lunch at 1 pm.

A Rita acaba de trabalhar por volta das sete da tarde.
Rita finishes work around 7 pm. (in the evening, still day outside)

Ontem jantei tarde às 9 da noite.
Yesterday I had a late dinner at 9 pm. (in the evening, dark outside)

Hoje tenciono deitar-me pelas 11 da noite.
Tonight I plan to go to bed at 11 pm.

By mastering these terms, you’ll be well-equipped to discuss daily routines or schedule appointments. Whether you’re traveling, working, or simply learning the language, knowing how to talk about the parts of the day will enhance your communication skills. Desejo-te um bom dia.