"good evening" in seven languages
Meaninggood evening
Spanish
buenas noches
/ˈbwenas ˈnotʃes/
other source · Latin NOCTEM 'night'
Spanish has no separate evening greeting: buenas noches covers evening and night.
French
bonsoir
/bɔ̃swaʁ/
inherited
From the adverb SĒRŌ 'late'.
Italian
buonasera
/bwɔnaˈsera/
inherited
From SĒRA (HŌRA) 'the late hour'.
Portuguese
boa noite
/ˈboɐ ˈnojtʃi/
other source · Latin NOCTEM 'night'
Romanian
bună seara
/ˈbunə ˈse̯ara/
inherited
Catalan
bon vespre
/bɔn ˈbɛspɾə/
other source · Latin VESPERUM 'evening'
English
good evening
/gʊd ˈivnɪŋ/
native English · Old English gōd + ǣfnung
English → Italiangood eveningbuonaseraNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
SĒRŌ‘late (adverb of SĒRUS)’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
French and Italian simply call the evening 'late' (SĒRUS); Spanish skips straight from the late afternoon (tarde) to the night (noche).
Learn it
In a sentence
- esBuenas noches a todos.
- frBonsoir à tous.
- itBuonasera a tutti.
- ptBoa noite a todos.
- roBună seara tuturor.
- caBon vespre a tothom.
- enGood evening, everyone.
More words from the same Latin
More in Greetings & courtesy
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- my name isme llamoje m'appellemi chiamome chamomă numescem dic
- nice to meet youencantadoenchantépiaceremuito prazerîncântatencantat
- sir, Mr.señormonsieursignoresenhordomnsenyor