nachts
at night
Regularly or usually at night; during the nighttime hours.
EXAMPLE
Nachts ist es in dieser Straße sehr ruhig.
At night, this street is very quiet.
nachts
at night
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word formation with -s
The adverb 'nachts' (at night) is derived from the noun 'die Nacht' (the night). The ending '-s' signals that something happens regularly or habitually every night.
EXAMPLE
Nachts schlafe ich meistens bei offenem Fenster.
At night, I usually sleep with the window open.
Sentence position
'Nachts' (at night) often stands at the beginning of the sentence (position 1), which moves the verb into the second position. But it can also be placed flexibly in the sentence, usually after the subject and verb.
EXAMPLE
Nachts arbeiten viele Menschen im Krankenhaus.
At night, many people work in the hospital.
Typical collocations
Common combinations with 'nachts' (at night) describe typical nighttime activities or states. These include, for example, 'nachts arbeiten' (to work at night), 'nachts unterwegs sein' (to be out at night), or 'nachts nicht schlafen können' (not to be able to sleep at night).
EXAMPLE
Ich mag es nicht, nachts allein durch den Park zu gehen.
I don't like walking through the park alone at night.
Compare with
nachts vs nächtlich
nighttime / nocturnal
Both words relate to the night. „Nachts“ is a direct indication of time and says when an action regularly or usually happens. „Nächtlich“ is an adjective and describes a noun or the particular character of something at night; it therefore needs a suitable noun to refer to.
nachts
Nachts schläft das Baby inzwischen viel ruhiger.
The baby sleeps much more peacefully at night now.
nächtlich
Die nächtliche Fahrt durch die leere Stadt war ungewöhnlich ruhig.
The nighttime drive through the empty city was unusually quiet.
In real life
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