Breakdown of À noite, ela lava a louça e coloca a roupa limpa na cadeira.
e
and
na
on the
ela
she
limpo
clean
Questions & Answers about À noite, ela lava a louça e coloca a roupa limpa na cadeira.
What is that accent in À noite? Why is it À and not just A noite?
The À in À noite is a combination of:
- the preposition a (to, at)
- the feminine definite article a (the)
So a + a = à. The grave accent (crase) shows this contraction.
Meaning changes:
- À noite, ela lava a louça. → At night, she does the dishes. (time expression)
- A noite está fria. → The night is cold. (a noite is the subject, the night)
So, when you mean “at night” (a time when something happens), use à noite.
When you’re literally talking about “the night” as a thing, use a noite (no accent).
Can I also say De noite instead of À noite? Is there any difference?
Yes, you can say De noite, ela lava a louça... as well.
- À noite and de noite both mean “at night”.
- In Brazil, they’re almost always interchangeable in everyday speech.
- À noite sounds slightly more neutral/formal.
- De noite can sound a bit more casual/colloquial, depending on the region.
Both are correct and very common.
Why is it lava a louça and not something like lava os pratos?