01
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 abends
in the evenings
'abends' and 'nachts' are close in time, so they can easily be confused. 'abends' means the time after the afternoon, when the day is slowly ending, for example after work or during dinner. 'nachts' means the nighttime hours, that is, the time when most people are asleep. Sometimes the transition is not completely exact, but 'abends' sounds earlier and more normal for free time or appointments. 'nachts' fits better with sleep, darkness, quiet, or very late work.
nachts
Nachts ist es in der Nachbarschaft meistens sehr ruhig.
At night, the neighborhood is usually very quiet.
abends
Der Fahrer hat abends noch eine kurze Pause gemacht.
The driver took another short break in the evening.
In real life
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