At what time does evening start?
Bonjour, I just started Session 4 in French 3, and I was wondering about times of day. It is my understanding that, in English, morning is from first light to 11:59 a.m., afternoon is from noon until 5:59 p.m., evening starts at 6:00 p.m., and night is when it is dark. The greetings also (usually) follow those times of the day: "Good morning," "Good afternoon," and "Good evening." In my experience, "Good night" is reserved for people sharing the same household and wishing each other well as they snuggle into bed and turn out the lights.
However, if it's outside the home and it's a work setting, for example, one might say to the other person at parting, "Have a good night." The other greetings work for parting as well, at the corresponding times of day, of course: "Have a good morning," Have a good afternoon," and "Have a good evening."
Some people don't go by these guidelines at all. For example, I've been told to have a good night when it was four in the afternoon. Or, other people will say, "Let's get together tonight at 6:30," but it's summer and still light at that time. So, I realize that there are inconsistencies in the use of these sayings, but I was wondering if the French had it a little more nailed down. When does "Bonjour" become "Bonsoir"?
Status:
Open Jul 18, 2014 - 12:02 PM
French, French > Grammar