At night and in the night

[ROBINDESBOIS]

Difference?

[chileno]

Originally Posted by ROBINDESBOIS

Difference?

At night = a/por la noche

In the night = en la noche.

Edit: better now?

[ROBINDESBOIS]

dirás por la noche, espero alguien me lo explique mejor.

[poli]

No hay mucha diferencia en la mayoria de casos. In the night
literadamente significa en la noche o a dentro de la noche y hay veces
cuando in the night tiene más sentido tal vez romántico.

[pjt33]

Complicado. Tenía una teoría pero leyendo el corpus me doy cuenta de que no tengo razón.

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by poli

No hay mucha diferencia en la mayoria de casos. In the night
literadamente significa en la noche o a dentro de la noche y hay veces
cuando in the night tiene más sentido tal vez romántico.

Something like:

I was lost in the night.
I arrived late at night.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Something like:

I was lost in the night.
I arrived late at night.

I was lost at night.
I arrived late in the night.

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by Perikles

I was lost at night.
I arrived late in the night.

So, there's no difference.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

So, there's no difference.

Well, I'm not sure. My first reaction was to say there was a clear difference, but the more I think about it, the more I think it might just be style or dialect, with no clear difference.

I would say I never go out at night, and not I never go out in the night
I would say I don't like this place, there are strange noises in the night, not I don't like this place, there are strange noises at night.
Yet I don't think the others are wrong.

[poli]

The differences are small. In the night sounds poetic, and at night sounds practical. To be lost in the night has a mysterious sound.
Example:
The children went wandering and got lost in the night never to be seen again.
An example of the practical-sounding at night would be, I was driving all day, and at night, I checked into a hotel.

Irma, for the most part you are correct and the terms are interchangable. The above examples show where their similaries diverge.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Perikles

I was lost at night.
I arrived late in the night.

I know. The one in red up there, seems to be a good construction but it isn't used like that....everybody would say "I arrived late at night".

[ROBINDESBOIS]

I think the difference is just:
At night - por la noche
in the night - durante la noche

[Elaina]

Originally Posted by ROBINDESBOIS

I think the difference is just:
At night - por la noche
in the night - durante la noche

Actually, durante la noche means .... during the night...

As much as I think about "in the night", I can't think of an instance where I would use it..... it just doesn't sound natural to me.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Elaina

As much as I think about "in the night", I can't think of an instance where I would use it..... it just doesn't sound natural to me.

Things that go bump in the night - sounds totally natural to me.

[Elaina]

Well, I was thinking more of using it in a conversation. Can you give me an example of how it would be used in a conversation that would sound natural?

[pjt33]

I woke up several times in the night.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Elaina

Well, I was thinking more of using it in a conversation. Can you give me an example of how it would be used in a conversation that would sound natural?

Believe it or not, I used it in conversation yesterday - we live in an old house, and I keep being woken up by odd noises. I said to my wife something like "I don't like it when things go bump in the night" (It turned out to be a mouse caught in a trap). It sounds perfectly natural to me - yet another regional difference, I suppose.

[Elaina]

Originally Posted by pjt33

I woke up several times in the night.

Well, I would say.........I woke up several times during the night

Originally Posted by Perikles

Believe it or not, I used it in conversation yesterday - we live in an old house, and I keep being woken up by odd noises. I said to my wife something like "I don't like it when things go bump in the night" (It turned out to be a mouse caught in a trap). It sounds perfectly natural to me - yet another regional difference, I suppose.

Uy! I hate mice

I suppose it would be one of those "regional difference".

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by Elaina

[/B]

Actually, durante la noche means .... during the night...

As much as I think about "in the night", I can't think of an instance where I would use it..... it just doesn't sound natural to me.

Even in poetry (as "lost in the night of your eyes" )?

[poli]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Even in poetry (as "lost in the night of your eyes" )?

Yes you have it right. In the night is somewhat poetic and mysterious.
Music in the night.
Somewhere in the night.
Laughter in the night.

At night is plain and straightforward practical English.