Tarde can describe an action happening late or name the afternoon as a noun.
The idea
Use tarde after a verb for late; por la tarde refers to the afternoon.
Examples
- Hoy llego tarde al trabajo.Today I arrive late for work.
- El tren sale tarde.The train leaves late.
- No queremos llegar tarde a clase.We do not want to arrive late for class.
- La tienda cierra tarde los viernes.The shop closes late on Fridays.
- Por la tarde estudio español.I study Spanish in the afternoon.
- Esta tarde visitamos el museo.This afternoon we visit the museum.
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Watch out
An afternoon event is not automatically late: the noun names a period of the day.
Try it yourself
Choose the word for arriving late: Llego ___, después de la hora acordada. (tarde / temprano)
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tarde
Tarde describes arrival after the agreed time.
Choose the article in the afternoon phrase: Por ___ tarde estudio español. (la / el)
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la
La is the feminine article in por la tarde.
Choose the opposite of late: El tren sale tarde, no ___. (temprano / tarde)
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temprano
Temprano means early and contrasts with tarde.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Spanish sentences where available. We keep your score.
Choose the word for arriving late: Llego ___, después de la hora acordada. (tarde / temprano)
Choose the article in the afternoon phrase: Por ___ tarde estudio español. (la / el)
Choose the opposite of late: El tren sale tarde, no ___. (temprano / tarde)
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Say what you do in the afternoon and when you arrive late.