Õhtu

Õhtu is the Estonian word for the period of the day that follows the afternoon and precedes the night. It is commonly understood as the time from late afternoon or early evening until night, with the exact start and end varying by season, location, and daily routine.

In everyday Estonian, õhtu is used in phrases such as täna õhtu (tonight), õhtul (in the evening), and õhtuti (in the evenings). The term appears across speech, literature, and media to reference the later part of the day and related activities.

Culturally, the evening is often associated with meals, social or family time, and leisure activities such as watching television, attending events, or relaxing after work. The character of the evening changes with seasons in Estonia: long daylight hours in summer extend the feeling of the evening, while shorter, darker evenings occur in winter.

Õhtu is a native Estonian noun and forms part of the language’s general time vocabulary. It is used across dialects and registers to denote a shared daily experience: the transition from daytime to night and the activities that accompany it.

See also: Evening (time of day); Estonian language.