Good evening or good night?

Good Evening Flabbergasting English followers,

It is already 1:29am and I've just written above: Good evening! There are people who claim "Good evening" should be used in-between 6:00 and 8:00pm as well as "Good night" should be used in-between 8:01 and 0:00.

Do not use the concept just shown in order to select which to use. I don't know who made it up, but I do know it confuses ESL learners and it does not make any sense.

"Good Evening" is used whenever you arrive at any place. It doesn't matter what time it is as long as it's night.

"Good Night" is used whenever you leave the place where you had been. The time also is not of utmost importance. In addition, it can be used ironicly in replacement of "get out of here!".


To sum up, "good evening" is a "saying hello" and "good night" is a "saying goodbye".

It's almost 2:00am. I'll go to bed.

Good night!

Rodrigo Pelegrini Honorato
ESL Teacher
rphingles@yahoo.com.br