noaptea

Noaptea is a Romanian noun meaning “the night.” It is the definite form of noapte, the feminine noun for night. The term refers to the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise and can also denote the night as a concept or atmosphere. In Romanian, the definite article is attached to the noun, so noapte becomes noaptea in the singular, while the indefinite form remains noapte. The plural form of noapte is nopți.

Grammatical and usage notes: Noaptea is commonly used in everyday speech and writing to describe time, events, or conditions that occur after sunset. Phrases such as “noaptea târziu” (late at night) or “în noaptea aceea” (in that night) illustrate its use in time and setting. Like many Romanian nouns, noapte is feminine, and its form changes to reflect definiteness and plurality in ordinary sentences.

Etymology and cognates: The word noapte is derived from the same Latin-root family that produced the noct- segment in many Romance languages. Cognates include Italian notte, French nuit, and Spanish noche, all referring to the night and sharing a common Indo-European origin related to darkness and time.

See also: Noapte (the indefinite form of the word), Night in Romanian language.

In summary, noaptea is the standard Romanian term for the night in its definite form, used across speech and literature to indicate the nocturnal period or to convey related imagery and meaning.