Spanish Phrase
No, es por la tarde.
Meaning
This sentence is used to correct or refuse a suggestion about the time of an event, stating that it will happen in the afternoon. The ‘No’ negates a previous idea, while ‘es por la tarde’ tells the exact part of the day.
When to use
Use it when someone asks or assumes a different time (e.g., ‘¿Será por la mañana?’) and you need to say that the event is actually scheduled for the afternoon.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Noesporlatarde
Negación simple
‘No’ is the basic way to say ‘no’ or to negate a statement in Spanish.
Ser for time
‘Es’ (from ser) is used to tell the time or to identify when something happens.
Por + time of day
‘Por’ is the most common preposition to indicate an approximate time of day (e.g., por la mañana, por la tarde).
La tarde
‘Tarde’ means ‘afternoon/evening’; the article ‘la’ makes it a specific part of the day.
🗨In Conversation
¿Vamos a comer por la mañana?
Shall we eat in the morning?
No, es por la tarde.
No, it's in the afternoon.
✕Common Mistakes
No, es en la tarde.
‘En la tarde’ is less common for a general time reference; native speakers usually say ‘por la tarde’.
No, es a la tarde.
‘a la tarde’ is not idiomatic for indicating a time of day.
No es la tarde.
This changes the meaning to ‘It is not the afternoon’, which is not what you want to say.
↔Alternatives
No, será por la tarde.
No, it will be in the afternoon.
Es por la tarde.
It's in the afternoon.
No, lo haremos por la tarde.
No, we'll do it in the afternoon.
Cultural Tip
In most Spanish‑speaking countries ‘por la tarde’ is the default way to refer to the period after midday until early evening. ‘En la tarde’ is also heard, especially in some regions of Spain, but ‘por’ is preferred when you’re giving a general time frame. Remember that ‘tarde’ can also mean ‘late’ in other contexts, so the article ‘la’ helps keep the meaning clear.