tardes

Tardes is a feminine plural noun in Spanish that denotes the period of the day after the morning and before the evening, commonly understood as the afternoon. It is also used in idiomatic phrases and as part of greetings, most notably in the fixed expression buenas tardes.

Etymology and sense: tarde comes from Late Latin tarda, the feminine form of tardus meaning late. In Spanish, tarde evolved to indicate the late part of the day, and tardes refers to multiple afternoons or to afternoons in general. The term can appear in literary and descriptive contexts describing weather, activities, or moods associated with that time of day.

Usage and regional variation: The exact boundaries of la tarde vary by region and season, but it generally follows the middle of the day. The standard greeting buenas tardes is used from around midday or early afternoon until early evening, with some countries and speakers extending it toward sunset. In poetry or prose, tardes can pair with adjectives or nouns to evoke the atmosphere of that time, such as tardes tranquilas (quiet afternoons) or tardes lluviosas (rainy afternoons).

Cross-linguistic note: In Portuguese, tardes is the plural of tarde, meaning afternoons, and in Galician it is also used with the same sense. While the primary sense in Spanish is the afternoon, the word retains its broader association with the latter part of the day.

Examples: Las tardes de verano traen mucha luz; Prefiero leer por las tardes; Buenas tardes, ¿cómo estás?