A guide to saying it like a local
How to Say "In the evening" in Italian
Learn how to say 'in the evening' in Italian to describe your plans or schedule during your travels.
Di sera.
dee-SEH-rahneutral
Italian TTS · 0:01
Use this when you are making plans for dinner or an after-work stroll. It is the standard way to specify that an activity will happen once the sun has begun to set.
Alternatives
- In serataUse this when referring to the later part of the evening or a specific event.
- StaseraUse this if you specifically mean 'tonight' instead of a general time of day.
Ways to get it wrong
Avoid 'nella sera'
While grammatically possible, Italians almost always use the preposition 'di' for times of day.
A small cultural note
In Italy, the evening is when life truly begins; don't be surprised if dinner plans start as late as 9:00 PM.
The same phrase in other languages
Frequently asked
Does di sera mean night or evening?
It specifically refers to the evening hours. Once you are deep into the night, Italians switch to using 'di notte'.
Can I use this for a specific time?
No, this is for a general time of day. If you want to say at 8:00 PM, use 'alle otto'.
Is di sera formal?
It is completely neutral. You can use it with a waiter, a friend, or a stranger without any issues.
