Breakdown of El atardecer es el momento más tranquilo del día.
ser
to be
el día
the day
de
of
más
more
tranquilo
calm
el momento
the moment
el atardecer
the sunset
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Questions & Answers about El atardecer es el momento más tranquilo del día.
Why is the definite article el used before atardecer?
In Spanish, you generally use a definite article before abstract nouns and times of day. Here, el atardecer means “the sunset/dusk” in a general, conceptual sense. Omitting el would sound unnatural.
Why is ser (es) used instead of estar?
You use ser for permanent or defining characteristics—facts that don’t change. Saying El atardecer es el momento más tranquilo states a general truth about dusk. Using estar (e.g. El atardecer está…) would imply a temporary state and isn’t idiomatic here.
How is the superlative más tranquilo formed, and why not tranquilísimo?
- Más tranquilo is a relative superlative (“the most calm”) formed with más + adjective.
- Tranquilísimo is the absolute superlative (“very calm” or “extremely calm”), formed with the suffix -ísimo.
You use más tranquilo to compare dusk to all other times of day (“the calmest”), whereas tranquilísimo just intensifies the adjective without comparing.
What is the contraction del in del día?
Del is the contraction of de + el. It literally means “of the,” so del día = “of the day.” Spanish always contracts de + el into del.
What’s the nuance between momento and hora here?
- Hora often refers to a specific clock hour (e.g. 3 pm).
- Momento is more flexible and abstract, pointing to a particular point or period in time.
Using el momento más tranquilo emphasizes a peaceful period rather than an exact hour.
What’s the difference between atardecer, amanecer, and anochecer?
• Amanecer = dawn, when the sun rises.
• Atardecer = dusk/sunset, late afternoon as the sun goes down.
• Anochecer = nightfall, when full darkness begins (just after sunset).
Why is there no accent on atardecer and where is the stress?
Atardecer is an aguda word (stress on the last syllable) and ends in -r. According to Spanish rules, agudas ending in a consonant other than n or s don’t carry a written accent. You pronounce it a-tar-de-CER.
Why does the adjective tranquilo come after the noun momento?
In Spanish, descriptive adjectives normally follow the noun they modify. So you say momento tranquilo, and when you add a comparative or superlative marker, it still follows: momento más tranquilo.