in the morning/ at the morning/ at morning (2024)

Dear friends,

is there any difference between "in the morning" and "at morning" ?

What about "in the afternoon" and "at afternoon"?

"In the night" and "at night" ?

Thank you in advance

reveur78 said:

Dear friends,

is there any difference between "in the morning" and "at morning" ?

What about "in the afternoon" and "at afternoon"?

"In the night" and "at night" ?

Thank you in advance

Click to expand...

Yes there is a difference. Night is a distinct period of day which is dark as opposed to morning and afternoon which are just periods of during daylight. Therefore you can say that something will occur "at night" (i.e. when it is dark) but not at morning or afternoon. For day, afternoon, morning, evening, etc. you use "during the" or "in the".

Joobs said:

Yes there is a difference. Night is a distinct period of day which is dark as opposed to morning and afternoon which are just periods of during daylight. Therefore you can say that something will occur "at night" (i.e. when it is dark) but not at morning or afternoon. For day, afternoon, morning, evening, etc. you use "during the" or "in the".

Click to expand...

Thank you, Joobs, for the explanation. It is clear now. However I have another question:

Are there any cases where it should be used without the article?
Thank you for clarification
Pavol

p246 said:

Do I have to use always "in the morning"?

Are there any cases where it should be used without the article?

Click to expand...

I can't think of any.

Rover

Red sky at night, shepherd's delight
Red sky at morning, shepherd's warning

is one of the few examples of 'at morning' that I can think of.

Hi everybody, I've got a query about when that we talk about a special part of a day..like morning.

I Know that the right way is to say "In the morning" , this sentence sound right from what I know but I learn that "at" is to specific time.. but that's very specific, so It has to be "at the morning" or " at light" so why "In" Is right, I mean that "In" Is for very nonspecific time and the morning Is exactly the upside of that.

There Is a time that "at the morning" Is right or It's wrong to say that?

<Thanks> for help..

<< Moderator's note:
This thread has been merged with a previous thread. >>

I am afraid your idea that morning is a specific time is wrong. Specific has the meaning of exact or precise or particular.

If I say, "I woke up in the morning." You do not know what time I woke up at - was it 6 o'clock, or 8 o'clock or was it 23 minutes past 9 o'clock?

6 o'clock, 8 o'clock and 23 minutes past 9 o'clock are all specific times.

The morning is a period of time. You do something in/within/inside a period - so we say "in the morning."

We do not say, "at light" this is not idiomatic. We could say, "at daylight" but daylight is a specific time each day.

Night is strange:

In the night, I heard the neighbour's car
At ø night I go to bed.

There are two sorts of night. (i) the night (ii) ø night

the night is a period - night-time, therefore in the night. non-specific

ø night = when it is dark; when it is late [in the day]; as opposed to day[light/time]. specific

If we talk about general routine , is it fine for native speakers to say?:
I work in the morning.
I work at night.

Secondly if we are talking about specific morning or night then, would a native speaker say?
1. I"ll meet you at night.
2.I'll meet you in the morning.

Thirdly is it fine to say?:
The morning is beautiful.
Night is dark.