Portuguese Phrase
Não, é à tarde.
Meaning
Literally “No, it’s in the afternoon.” The speaker is correcting or refusing a suggestion that something will happen earlier, usually in the morning.
When to use
Use this sentence after someone proposes a time that is not the afternoon, or when you need to clarify that an event, meeting, or activity will take place after noon.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Nãoéàtarde
Não
The standard word for “no” or “not”. It negates the whole sentence that follows.
é (ser)
The verb *ser* is used to tell the time or a fixed point in the day; it does not change with the subject.
à (a + a)
A contraction of the preposition *a* (to/at) + the feminine definite article *a*. It is required before feminine nouns that indicate a time of day.
tarde
A feminine noun meaning “afternoon”. When used with *à*, it signals a specific period after noon.
🗨In Conversation
Vamos nos encontrar de manhã?
Shall we meet in the morning?
Não, é à tarde.
No, it’s in the afternoon.
✕Common Mistakes
Não, é a tarde.
Missing the accent creates the article *a* + noun, which is not the correct prepositional contraction for time.
Não, é de tarde.
The preposition *de* is not used to indicate a specific point in time; use *à* instead.
Não é à tarde.
Without the comma, the sentence can be interpreted as a statement rather than a direct refusal/clarification.
↔Alternatives
Não, será à tarde.
No, it will be in the afternoon.
Não, é no período da tarde.
No, it’s in the afternoon period.
Não, vai ser à tarde.
No, it’s going to be in the afternoon.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, *tarde* generally covers the time from about 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. When you want to specify that something will happen after noon, you must use the prepositional contraction *à tarde*. Dropping the accent (writing *a tarde*) changes the meaning to “the afternoon” as a noun phrase, not a time reference, and sounds unnatural in this context.