nächtlich

Nächtlich is a German adjective and adverb meaning “of the night” or “at night,” used to describe things that occur during the night hours or possess a nocturnal character. As an adjective, it can modify a noun (for example, nächtliche Stille, meaning nocturnal silence) and as an adverbial descriptor it conveys that something happens by night.

Etymologically, nächtlich is formed from Nacht (night) plus the common German suffix -lich, yielding a term closely related to other night-related expressions in German. The word is attested in standard German from earlier periods and remains common in literary, descriptive, and formal contexts.

In usage, nächtlich often carries a slightly elevated or poetic tone compared with the more everyday nachts (“at night”). It highlights the nocturnal quality rather than simply the time frame. Typical collocations include nächtliche Ruhe, nächtliche Temperaturen, nächtliche Straßen, and the expression der nächtliche Himmel. It is also used to describe animals or activities that are characteristic of the night, as in nächtliche Tiere or nächtliche Wanderungen.

Related terms include Nacht (night) and Nächtlichkeit (the quality or state of being nocturnal). In translation, nächtlich is commonly rendered as nocturnal or nightly, depending on context. The word is part of a broader set of German descriptors that express temporal or atmospheric aspects tied to nighttime.