Times of the Day: What are Different Parts of the Day Called in Russian?

Step into a realm where time is painted with the strokes of language, as we unravel the captivating names for different parts of the day in Russian.

In this post, I invite you to wander through the ever-changing landscape of dawns, dusks, and everything in between. Discover how the Russian language gracefully captures the essence of morning, afternoon, evening, and night.

Let’s begin!

Parts of the Day

Here’s the list of the times of the day in Russian:

утро [ootra] – morning

день [dyen’] – day, afternoon

полдень [poldyen’] – midday, noon

вечер [vyecher] – evening

полночь [polnach’] – midnight

ночь [noch’] – night

Example sentences:

Утро — лучшее время для зарядки и физических упражнений. – Morning is the best time for stretching and exercise.

Каждое утро я выпиваю чашку свежего кофе. – Every morning, I have a cup of fresh coffee.

Я обычно работаю весь день. – I usually work all day.

В солнечный день мы отправились на пляж. – On a sunny day, we went to the beach.

Полдень наступает точно в 12 часов. – Noon arrives exactly at 12 o’clock.

Спасибо за чудесный вечер. – Thank you for a lovely evening.

The adjectives “ранний” and “поздний” enable us to precisely characterize different periods within the times of the day, allowing for more specific and vivid descriptions.

раннее утро – early morning

поздний вечер – late evening

поздняя ночь – late night

We can derive adjectives from the terms for different parts of the day, allowing us to convey specific qualities and characteristics associated with those time periods.

Derived from “утро” (morning), the adjective “утренний” describes something related to or characteristic of the morning. E.g., “утреннее солнце” (morning sun), утренний чай (morning tea) or “утренняя прохлада” (morning coolness).

The adjective “дневной” refers to something pertaining to or happening during the day. For example, “дневная активность” (daytime activity) or “дневной свет” (daytime light).

Formed from “вечер” (evening), the adjective “вечерний” describes something connected to or occurring in the evening. Examples include “вечерняя прогулка” (evening stroll) or “вечерние новости” (evening news).

The adjective “ночной” signifies something related to or happening during the night. For instance, “ночное небо” (night sky) or “ночная тишина” (nighttime silence).

These adjectives allow for more nuanced descriptions, enabling us to vividly depict the qualities, ambiance, or attributes associated with different parts of the day in Russian.

See Also: Days of the Week in Russian

Adverbs and Prepositions

Throughout the Russian language, we utilize adverbs and prepositions to express events or actions that occur during different parts of the day. These linguistic tools allow us to provide more precise descriptions and create a vivid picture of the temporal context.

To begin, we have “утром“, meaning “in the morning.” This adverb paints a picture of the early hours, when the world awakens to a new day. It allows us to speak of activities that happen during this time.

Example sentences:

Я пью кофе утром. – I drink coffee in the morning.

Мы гуляем по парку утром. – We take a walk in the park in the morning.

Увидимся завтра утром. – See you tomorrow morning.

Утром было холодно. – It was cold in the morning.

Moving through the day, we encounter “днём“, which signifies “during the day” or “in the daytime.” This versatile adverb enables us to express actions occurring in the daylight hours. For instance, we may say “Я работаю днём” (I work during the day) or “Днём было жарко” (It was warm in the afternoon).

As the sun sets, we embrace “вечером“, meaning “in the evening.” This adverb brings to life the transition from day to night, casting a warm glow on our descriptions.

Вечером мы готовим ужин. – In the evening, we cook dinner.

Я вернусь вечером. – I’ll be back in the evening.

Увидимся сегодня вечером. – See you tonight.

Lastly, we have “ночью“, signifying “at night.” This adverb paints a mysterious atmosphere, embracing the darkness and intrigue of the night. It helps us describe events taking place during this time, such as “Я сплю ночью” (I sleep at night) or “Прошлой ночью было холодно“ (Last night was cold).

See Also: Adverbs of Time in Russian

Let’s summarize:

утром [ootram] – in the morning

днём [dnyom] – in the daytime, in the afternoon

вечером [vyecheram] – in the evening

ночью [noch’yu] – at night

In addition to these adverbs, we also have the preposition “по“, which adds a sense of repetition or habitual action. When combined with the adverbs, it allows us to express regular activities during different parts of the day. For example, we can say “Я занимаюсь спортом по утрам” (I exercise in the mornings).

Other examples:

Я выгуливаю собаку по утрам. – I walk my dog in the mornings.

Я часто работаю по ночам. – I often work at nights.

Note: We don’t use “по дням” to say during the day. You can say instead: Они работают днём. – They work during the day.

The preposition “до” is commonly used with the times of the day to indicate the duration or time period until a certain time. For instance: “до обеда” (until noon), “до пяти часов дня” (until five o’clock in the afternoon), “до семи вечера” (until seven in the evening), “до полуночи” (until midnight), “до двух ночи” (until two in the morning).

Example sentences:

Я не мог уснуть до утра. – I couldn’t get to sleep until the morning.

Согласно прогнозу синоптиков, сильный ветер сохранится до вечера. – According to the forecast, a strong wind will remain until the evening.

See Also: Russian Prepositions for Talking About Time

Before we wrap up, here are a few more words you should learn.

рассвет [rasvyet] – dawn

на рассвете [na rasvyetye] – at dawn

закат [zakat] – sunset

на закате [na zakatye] – at sunset

You can also watch a video version of this lesson for a more visual experience: