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"afternoon" in seven languages

Meaningafternoon

Spanish

tarde

/ˈtaɾde/

fem.other source · Latin TARDE 'late'

La tarde runs on into the early evening; the adverb tarde still means 'late'.

French

après-midi

/apʁɛmidi/

masc.other source · French après 'after' + midi 'noon' (Latin MEDIUM DIEM)

Feminine use (une après-midi) is also accepted.

Italian

pomeriggio

/pomeˈriddʒo/

masc.inherited

Portuguese

tarde

/ˈtahdʒi/

fem.other source · Latin TARDE 'late'

Romanian

după-amiază

/ˈdupə aˈmjazə/

fem.other source · după 'after' + amiază 'noon' (Latin AD MEDIAM DIEM)

Catalan

tarda

/ˈtaɾdə/

fem.other source · Latin TARDE 'late'

English

afternoon

/æftɚˈnun/

native English · English after + noon

English → ItalianafternoonpomeriggioNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: p.m., meridian.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

POST MERĪDIEM‘after midday’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

English, French and Italian all say 'after midday'; Italian pomeriggio is the very Latin phrase behind p.m., worn down in speech. Spanish just calls it 'late': la tarde.

English relatives: p.m., meridian

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In a sentence

  • esTe llamo esta tarde.
  • frJe t'appelle cet après-midi.
  • itTi chiamo oggi pomeriggio.
  • ptTe ligo hoje à tarde.
  • roTe sun după-amiază.
  • caEt truco aquesta tarda.
  • enI'll call you this afternoon.

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