Time, days and hours in Valencian
160 words Valencian words on the topic “time, days and hours”: el matí — morning, el dia — day, hui — today, demà — tomorrow.
160 words on the topic
- el matímorningThe word of its own — and in Valencia it lives loudest of all: Mercat del Matí, the morning markets on every corner
- el diadayMasculine despite the -a: el dia, bon dia — one of the main exceptions of gender
- huitodayStarts with an h — a Valencian hallmark: central Catalan says avui. The h is obligatory in writing though the ear hears only a y
- demàtomorrowFrom Latin de mane — with the morning: tomorrow is what comes with a new morning. The morning itself is el matí
- ahiryesterdayStress at the end: a-HEER. The day before yesterday is abans-d'ahir — literally before yesterday
- la vespradaafternoonThe vesprada stretches from lunch to dark — the second half of the day and the early evening in one. The central norm says tarda here; after dark the nit begins
- la nitnightBegins with the dark, so a ten-o'clock supper is already a la nit. Hence bona nit
- l'horahourBoth the measure and the time of day: Quina hora és? The hour on the clock face is la una — feminine
- primer de totfirst of allLiterally first of all; turn off the phone
- en segon llocsecondlyLiterally second place — secondly; and close the door
- abans de resabove allLiterally before everything; thanks for coming, above all
- a mésbesidesLiterally at-more — besides; it is cheap and, besides, near
- per certby the wayLiterally by chance — by the way; have you seen the keys?
- en fianywayLiterally in-the-end — anyway; tomorrow we'll talk about it
- en resumin shortIn summary; it will rain, take the coat
- amb altres paraulesin other wordsLiterally other words; we have to start over
- el més importantmost importantlyLiterally the more important; to get there together
- al capdavallin the endLiterally head-below — at bottom; it was worth it
- encara quealthoughStill that — although; it rains, we'll go to the beach anyway
- en canvion the other handIn change — but then; the flat is small; on the other hand, it's central
- al contrarion the contraryThe contrary; he didn't bother me; on the contrary, he helped
- malgratdespiteDespite; the weather, the trip was excellent
- tanmateixhoweverSo-much-however; it is expensive; however, it's worth it
- per una bandaon the one handLiterally "by one side": the reasoning lies on two palms. It waits for its pair — per l'altra banda
- per l'altra bandaon the other hand (second)The other band; it is very convenient
- tot i aixòneverthelessAll and this — nevertheless; the rain fell all day; nevertheless, we swam
- en lloc d'aixòinstead of thatPlace of this; he didn't call; instead of that he wrote
- igualmentall the sameEqually; rain? We're going out all the same
- al principiat firstThe entry is the beginning; at first we lived in Alicante
- desprésthenAfter — then; first we lunch, then we go out
- després d'aixòafter thatAfter this; we never saw each other again
- finalmentfinallyFrom el final — the end: finally here is 'in the finale'. Finalment! — the exhale after a long wait
- mentrein the meantimeOne word instead of five: while, whilst. Two actions walk side by side, like two trains on neighboring tracks
- alhoraat the same timeAt the hour; I can't do two things at once
- abans quebefore (something happens)Before that; leave before the program starts
- després queafter (something happens)After that; we lunch after the meeting ends
- tan bon puntas soon asLiterally so good point — as soon as; he comes, call me
- des de llavorssince thenThen-and-there — since then; I study every day
- semprealwaysShort and reliable, like what it names. Sempre igual — always the same: said with a smile and with a sigh alike
- sovintoftenA local word: in Spanish it would be a menudo. It stands by the verb — and honestly confesses a habit
- raramentrarelyThe pair of sovint: rarely here is "in a rare manner". Rar — odd: a rare event is always slightly odd
- a vegadessometimesTimes — sometimes; I forget the keys
- maineverEver and never in one; I read in the morning — never
- normalmentusuallyA relative of the norm: usually here is "in norm". This is how one describes one's day until something abnormal happens
- molt de tempsa long timeMuch of time; I waited in the queue a long time
- cada vegadaevery timeCada — every, from the basics; la vegada — a time. Cada vegada més — more and more: the formula of growth
- de tant en tantfrom time to timeSo-much in so-much; we return to that same restaurant now and then
- encara arato this dayLiterally "even now": the event is long — and has not ended. Do not mix it up with the farewell fins ara — see you soon
- de sobtesuddenlySudden; and suddenly the light went out
- amb antelacióin advanceThe anticipation; buy the tickets ahead
- a tempson timeThe entry is time — the punctual kind; we arrived right on time
- urgentmenturgentlyUrgent-ly; I have to talk to you urgently
- de seguidaright awayIn-following — right away; I'll do it
- gradualmentgraduallyA relative of degrees: change here goes "by steps", as on a thermometer. Languages are learned gradualment — alas, without magic
- per casualitatby chanceThe chance; we met at the market by chance
- a propòsiton purposeThe purpose; I came on purpose to see you
- a l'últim momentat the last momentThe last moment; he cancelled the trip at it
- tard o d'horasooner or laterLiterally "late or early": Catalan puts the late first. A promise of time: it will happen — if not today, then tomorrow
- una vegadaonce upon a timeLiterally "one time": once here works in a fairy tale and in life alike. The opening of all grandpa's stories
- de petitas a childLiterally as little; I went fishing with grandpa
- en aquella èpocain those timesThat epoch; there were no mobile phones in it
- va ser fa moltit was long agoLiterally it was long ago; we didn't have a car yet
- la primera vegadathe first timeThe first time; I flew on a plane in 2019
- la intencióintentionThe intention; mine is to save for a flat
- el futurfutureMasculine, an international word. El futur ho dirà — the future will tell: the universal answer to questions about plans
- el passatpastMasculine, the participle of the "passed". El passat no es canvia — the past cannot be rewritten: a proverb in four words
- els plans per aviatplans for the near futureThe soon plans; simple ones — work and travel
- d'ací a un anyin a yearLiterally here a year; we move to another flat then
- canviar d'ideato change one's mindLiterally "to change the idea": changing one's mind here is "changing the thought". Vaig canviar d'idea a l'últim moment — I changed my mind at the last moment
- ajornar el viatgeto postpone the tripLiterally "to postpone the trip": ajornar — to move to another day (jorn — a day). Not a cancellation: the trip simply waits for a better day
- tot va segons el plaeverything is on planAccording to plan; don't worry, everything goes so
- si surtif it works outIf it comes out; on Sunday we'll go to the beach if it does
- encara no ho he deciditI haven't decided yetStill not decided; where do we go in summer? I haven't
- el destídestinyThe entry is the destination — now fate; it brought us to one city
- començar una vida novato start a new lifeThe new life; they left for Canada to start one
- tot ha canviateverything has changedAll has changed; since the girl was born, it has
- per a millorfor the betterFor the better; the move turned out so
- per a pitjorfor the worseFor the worse; the situation changed so
- constantmentconstantlyConstantly; he complains about the neighbor
- temporalmenttemporarilyTemporarily; we live at our parents' for now
- el moment adequata good timeThe adequate moment; now is not one for talking
- fixar una horato set a timeFix the hour; call me and we'll set one to talk
- canviar la citato reschedule the meetingChange the appointment; he had to go to the doctor and rescheduled
- cancel·lar la citato cancel the meetingCancel the appointment; if you can't come, do it on the website
- a la vespradain the afternoonLiterally in the vesprada: the day here splits into matí and vesprada, with lunch as the border. Tinc hora a la vesprada — my appointment is after lunch. And the afternoon here is vesprada: the Valencian giveaway; the central norm says tarda
- cap al vespretoward eveningToward the evening; I'll come after work
- a qualsevol horaany timeLiterally "in any hour": qualsevol — whichever you take. Said generously: truca'm a qualsevol hora — and regretted at two in the morning
- no abans de les cincnot before fiveNot before five; I can leave work but not then
- recorda-m'horemind meThe remind-me-to with the pronoun glued on; I'm absent-minded
- arribaré a l'horaI'll be on timeI will arrive at the hour; the train comes at six
- arribar a tempsto make it in timeArrive in time; we made it to the meeting
- en puntsharp (on the dot)Literally on the point: a les huit en punt — at eight sharp, not a minute later. It stands after the time like a full stop at the end of a phrase. And eight here is huit: the Valencian giveaway; the central norm says vuit
- llavorsthen (in that case)The entry is llavors again — the then of consequence; if it rains, then we lunch indoors
- fins queuntilUntil that; we won't leave until the concert ends
- el més aviat possibleas soon as possibleMore soon possible; call — the seats fly away
- el seglecentury (era)The entry is the century — the era; this church is of the twelfth: look at the stones
- l'èpocaepochThe epoch; it was one of big changes: the town grew
- la dècadadecadeThe decade; in one the quarter changed beyond recognition
- el períodeperiodThe period; we are going through a calm but long one
- l'instantinstantThe instant; everything changed in one: the phone rang
- prolongatprolongedThe prolonged; they had a prolonged silence, and then they laughed
- un dia d'aquestsone of these daysOne day of these; we'll meet at the market and talk
- hui en dianowadaysToday in the day — nowadays; everything is paid by phone, even bread
- de tota la vidafor as long as anyone remembersOf all the life; bread has been baked here so for as long as anyone remembers
- en qüestió de minutsin a matter of minutesIn question of minutes; the fog left in a matter of minutes
- actualcurrentThe current; the current mayor lives on the same street as his grandfather
- mil·lenariage-oldThe millennial — age-old; on the summit there is an age-old settlement of dry stone
- els temps passatsthe old daysThe past times; grandma speaks of the old days with a smile
- esporàdicamentsporadicallySporadically; I come to the town two or three times a year
- diàriamentdailyDiarily — daily; the postman comes every day except Sunday
- regularmentregularlyFrom regla — the rule: regularly is "by rule". He trains regularly four days a week
- per primera vegadafor the first time everFor the first time; he swims in the pool for it and is not afraid
- de nouanewAnew; paint the door — the first coat didn't take
- cada cop mésmore and more oftenEach time more; more and more neighbors bike to work
- entre setmanamidweekBetween week — midweek; the café opens at seven, on weekends at nine
- una vegada sí i una altra noevery other timeOne time yes and another no; he pays the tax that way, and nobody says anything
- un cop l'anyonce a yearOne time the year; the whole family gathers at Christmas
- cada dos per tresevery so oftenEach two by three; the lift stops between floors every so often
- mentrestantmeanwhileBetween-since — meanwhile; the supper bakes in the oven; meanwhile we set the table
- paral·lelamentin parallelParallelly; in parallel with the construction the bar keeps working
- fins aleshoresuntil thenUntil then; he lived with his parents until then, and left for Alicante
- posteriormentafterwardsPosteriorly; they signed the agreement and afterwards published it
- el dia abansthe day beforeThe day before; of the feast we cook together
- més endavantlater onMore ahead; for now we leave it so, and later on we'll see
- aquesta vegadathis timeThis time; the train came on time — a miracle
- en el moment oportúin due timeAt the opportune moment; they arrived before the rain
- amb efectes retroactiusretroactivelyWith retroactive effects; the salary rise will be counted from January
- sense cap demorawithout delayWithout any delay; call the ambulance without a minute
- l'anyyearThe article shrinks: l'any. Any nou — New Year, anys — years of age
- les vint-i-quatre horesa full day and nightLiterally the twenty-four hours — the full turn of the day, train timetable style
- la centúriacenturyA hundred years, borrowed straight from the Roman centuria
- el minutminuteA look-alike; espera un minut — wait a minute
- el segonsecond (of time)The entry is segon again, now the unit of time; the suffix marks the second dictionary entry
- la mitja horahalf an hourLiterally the half hour: mitja is the feminine half, agreeing with hora
- el migdianoonLiterally mid-day — the hour the church bell strikes for
- la mitjanitmidnightLiterally mid-night: nit is feminine, so mitjanit
- aranowRight now, this instant: ara vinc — I'm coming now
- el terminideadlineThe term, the limit date: el termini acaba divendres
- el següentnextThe one after: el mes següent — the next month. It stands after the noun
- passatlast, pastThe adjective last: l'any passat — last year. The suffix -adj marks it as a separate dictionary entry
- un altre copagainLiterally another time: la cop is the turn, the occasion
- aviatsoonFins aviat — see you soon; the everyday sign-off
- fa tempsa long time agoLiterally it makes time — time done: fa temps que no el veig
- fa pocrecentlyLiterally it makes little — a small time done: fa poc que visc ací
- tardlateMassa tard — too late; mai és tard — it's never too late
- d'horaearlyLiterally of the hour: the article squeezed to d'. D'hora and tard are the pair
- de pressaquicklyLiterally of haste — the same pressa as tinc pressa
- fàcilmenteasilyThe -ment adverb, the local -ly: fàcil + ment
- amb dificultatwith difficultyThere is no plain hardly — difficulty is said with amb: escriu amb dificultat
- tot justjust nowLiterally all just — barely, hardly: tot just arribat — just arrived
- al matíin the morningLiterally in the morning: the article a + el squeezes into al. The bare noun el matí is the morning itself
- de diain the daytimeLiterally of day — the daylight stretch, not the noon hour
- al vesprein the eveningThe vespre is the stretch after work and toward the night meal
- de nitat nightSame de-construction as de dia: things that are true of the night
- cada diaevery daycada is every, and it never takes an article: cada dia, cada matí
- tot el diaall day longLiterally all the day: tot + el + dia, the article left in place
- el momentmomentA Latin look-alike — the very moment something happens: en aquest moment
- el rellotgeclock (the device)The device on the wall or the wrist. The hour itself is l'hora — a different word
- el calendaricalendarThe paper or the app. Its cousin is la data, the date
- quina hora éswhat time is it?Literally which hour is it — quina is the question-word which, agreeing with hora
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
- Al matí bec un cafèIn the morning I drink coffee
- Ha estat un dia molt llargThe day turned out very long
- Hui treballo a casaToday I work from home
- Demà no treballoTomorrow I'm not working
- Ahir va ploure tota la tardaYesterday it rained all day
- A la vesprada ja no fa tanta calorToward evening it is not so hot anymore
What is worth knowing about these words
el matí — morning. The word of its own — and in Valencia it lives loudest of all: Mercat del Matí, the morning markets on every corner
el dia — day. Masculine despite the -a: el dia, bon dia — one of the main exceptions of gender
hui — today. Starts with an h — a Valencian hallmark: central Catalan says avui. The h is obligatory in writing though the ear hears only a y
demà — tomorrow. From Latin de mane — with the morning: tomorrow is what comes with a new morning. The morning itself is el matí
Test yourself
Recalling a spelling from meaning is harder than recognizing a familiar word — and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “morning” in Valencian?
The word of its own — and in Valencia it lives loudest of all: Mercat del Matí, the morning markets on every corner
- How do you say “hour” in Valencian?
Both the measure and the time of day: Quina hora és? The hour on the clock face is la una — feminine
- How do you say “in short” in Valencian?
In summary; it will rain, take the coat
- How do you say “despite” in Valencian?
Despite; the weather, the trip was excellent
- How do you say “at first” in Valencian?
The entry is the beginning; at first we lived in Alicante
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Today, tomorrow, in the morning, at six. You cannot arrange to meet without these — let alone understand the answer.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- This holds not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “morning” in Valencian?
«el matí». The word of its own — and in Valencia it lives loudest of all: Mercat del Matí, the morning markets on every corner. It is one of 160 words in the set “time, days and hours” — the rest are in the table above.
How many time words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 160 words on this page covers nearly every everyday case on the topic — but it is best taken a few at a time, not all at once.