# At night/ at the night



## moseen

Hello every body!
In the sentence below, why doesn't "at night" have "the" as "at the night"?
_Why does Melania Trump wear sunglasses at night?
Reference: Why does Melania Trump wear sunglasses at night?.

Or also in "'it's not safe to travel at night,' the officer said. " _


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## Copyright

Because we say "at night," rather than "at the night" – in the morning, at noon, in the afternoon, in the evening, at night, at midnight.


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## moseen

Copyright said:


> Because we say "at night," rather than "at the night" – in the morning, at noon, in the afternoon, in the evening, at night, at midnight.


isn't it because of "night" is uncountable?


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## Copyright

Night is definitely countable: _
"How many nights this week have you been out until three in the morning?"
"Five nights – but that's because I had the flu two nights."_


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## moseen

Copyright said:


> Night is definitely countable:
> _"How many nights this week have you been out until three in the morning?"
> "Five nights – but that's because I had the flu two nights."_


I mean "night" can be countable or uncountable. in your sample "night" is countable definitely but in my sample I think it is uncountable.


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## VicNicSor

Night can be countable or uncountable. In this case, when "at night" refers to a habit, what happens regularly, i.e. -- many nights -- I think "night" is uncountable.

x-posted with #5


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## Copyright

I can't answer that – I can only tell you what we say. Perhaps someone else can contribute.


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## moseen

VicNicSor said:


> Night can be countable or uncountable. In this case, when "at night" refers to a habit, what happens regularly, i.e. -- many nights -- I think "night" is uncountable.
> 
> x-posted with #5


Thank you very much. You mean doesn't "at night" have "the" because it is uncountable?


Copyright said:


> I can't answer that – I can only tell you what we say. Perhaps someone else can contribute.


Thank you very much, Copyright.


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## entangledbank

'Night' is in some sense uncountable in this sense, but 'generic' might be a better way of putting it. It's not referring to one specific night, or several, but to night or nights generally. However, this doesn't explain the grammar of 'at night', since similarly generic expressions can have 'the' or plural: at nights, during the night, in the evening, in the evenings, etc.


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## moseen

entangledbank said:


> 'Night' is in some sense uncountable in this sense, but 'generic' might be a better way of putting it. It's not referring to one specific night, or several, but to night or nights generally. However, this doesn't explain the grammar of 'at night', since similarly generic expressions can have 'the' or plural: at nights, during the night, in the evening, in the evenings, etc.


Doesn't it any grammatical reason?


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## Copyright

From the British Council ... English grammar, times and dates:

Note: We say *at night* when we are talking about *all of the night*:


_When there is no moon it is very dark *at night*.
He sleeps during the day and works *at night*._


but we say *in the night *when we are talking about a *short time *during the night:


_He woke up twice *in the night*.
I heard a funny noise *in the night*._


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## PaulQ

At night = at nighttime - nighttime in this sense is uncountable.

(Please note that the addition of "the" is pointless when considering uncountable nouns - uncountable nouns can be qualified by "the": the advice; the jewellery; the milk, etc.)

At night; by train; through time; with confidence; etc., etc. are prepositional phrases in which the object of the preposition is uncountable.

This does not work with "morning" because of the etymology of "morning" (a gerund via a participle which does not collocate with "at").

Afternoon is a combination of "after noon." Noon is uncountable in the same way 10 o'clock is uncountable.


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## moseen

Copyright said:


> From the British Council ... English grammar, times and dates:
> 
> Note: We say *at night* when we are talking about *all of the night*:
> 
> 
> _When there is no moon it is very dark *at night*._
> _He sleeps during the day and works *at night*._
> 
> 
> but we say *in the night *when we are talking about a *short time *during the night:
> 
> 
> _He woke up twice *in the night*._
> _I heard a funny noise *in the night*._


Thank you very, very much for your help.


PaulQ said:


> At night = at nighttime - nighttime in this sense is uncountable.
> 
> At night; by train; through time; with confidence; etc., etc. are prepositional phrases in which the object of the preposition is uncountable.
> 
> This does not work with "morning" because of the etymology of "morning" (a gerund via a participle which does not collocate with "at").
> 
> Afternoon is a combination of "after noon." Noon is uncountable in the same way 10 o'clock is uncountable.


Thank you very, very much for your help.
"the milk" refers to the concept of milk in general and it has "the", in my sample"_'it's not safe to travel at night,' the officer said._", doesn't  "night" refer to the concept of "night" in general and it can have "the"?


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## Copyright

moseen said:


> "the milk" refers to the concept of milk in general and it has "the", in my sample"_'it's not safe to travel at night,' the officer said._"
> 
> , doesn't  "night" refer to the concept of "night" in general and it can have "the"?


I think the first note from the British Council covers this: We say *at night* when we are talking about *all of the night*. 

Equally, I think we can consider "at night" to mean "any time of the night," as well as "all of the night."


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## moseen

Copyright said:


> I think the first note from the British Council covers this: We say *at night* when we are talking about *all of the night*.
> 
> Equally, I think we can consider "at night" to mean "any time of the night," as well as "all of the night."


Than you very much for your help.


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## Lun-14

PaulQ said:


> At night = at nighttime - nighttime in this sense is uncountable.
> 
> (Please note that the addition of "the" is pointless when considering uncountable nouns - uncountable nouns can be qualified by "the": the advice; the jewellery; the milk, etc.)
> 
> At night; by train; through time; with confidence; etc., etc. are prepositional phrases in which the object of the preposition is uncountable.
> 
> This does not work with "morning" because of the etymology of "morning" (a gerund via a participle which does not collocate with "at").
> 
> Afternoon is a combination of "after noon." Noon is uncountable in the same way 10 o'clock is uncountable.


Could you please give us a contextual example in which "at *the* night" could be said?


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## VicNicSor

Lun-14 said:


> Could you please give us a contextual example in which "at *the* night" could be said?



"He used to sit there and look *at the night *sky."


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## heypresto

I was awake *in *the night, thinking about all the things that have happened. 

I was awake *at* the night, thinking about all the things that have happened.


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## moseen

VicNicSor said:


> "He used to sit there and look *at the night *sky."


Please look at my reference because it said we can't use "at the night", we should say "in the night", if I understand correctly.


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## heypresto

The night sky is a noun, so we can look at it in the same way as we can look at a cat or a dog or a book, or . . .


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## moseen

heypresto said:


> The night sky is a noun, so we can look at it in the same way as we can look at a cat or a dog or a book, or . . .


OK, I understand now.
Thank you heypresto and VicNicor.
I never learn English.


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## Lun-14

VicNicSor said:


> "He used to sit there and look *at the night *sky."


Doesn't "at *the* night" refer to some _specific_ night, i.e. the night that has been previously mentioned. E.g.
A: What do you do on the New Year's night?
B: I burn firecrackers at *the* night.


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## VicNicSor

Lun-14 said:


> Doesn't "at *the* night" refer to some _specific_ night, i.e. the night that has been previously mentioned. E.g.
> A: What do you do on the New Year's night?
> B: I burn firecrackers at *the* night.



No, "at the night" is incorrect. It's "on the night (of ....)", "on that night".


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## heypresto

Lun-14 said:


> Doesn't "at *the* night" refer to some _specific_ night, i.e. the night that has been previously mentioned. E.g.
> A: What do you do *on* the New Year's night?



Your answer is in the question.


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## moseen

Lun-14 said:


> Doesn't "at *the* night" refer to some _specific_ night, i.e. the night that has been previously mentioned. E.g.
> A: What do you do on the New Year's night?
> B: I burn firecrackers at *the* night.


isn't In the night ?
I burn firecrackers in *the* night???No??


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## Lun-14

VicNicSor said:


> No, "at the night" is incorrect. It's "on the night (of ....)", "on that night".





heypresto said:


> Your answer is in the question.


I'm confused...
The definite article is used exactly in the same way as I did in #22. Why is my explanation wrong?


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## Lun-14

moseen said:


> isn't In the night ?
> I burn firecrackers in *the* night???No??


You mean to say that I should use "in the night" rather than "at the night" in my example? i.e.
I burn firecrackers *in* the night.


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## VicNicSor

Lun-14 said:


> I'm confused...
> The definite article is used exactly in the same way as I did in #22. Why is my explanation wrong?


In this question, where you used "on" yourself:


Lun-14 said:


> What do you do on the New Year's night?


Except that it should be like this:

What do you do are you doing *on *the New Year's night?


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## rituparnahoymoy

moseen said:


> isn't In the night ?
> I burn firecrackers in *the* night???No??



At night, What I was told and what I learned here is a specific point in time. Now don't ask me why. And I still now, haven't understood when to speak *at night and In the night.*

*There is a song,*
In the night she hears him calling
In the night she's dancing to relieve the pain
She'll never walk away (I don't think you understand)
In the night when she comes crawling… More

There are some things which can't be understood by us and can only understood by native speakers. That is with every language I believe.

I don't think we *burn* firecrackers. We *set off (make them explode)* them. Burning would mean we have destroyed them.


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## moseen

VicNicSor said:


> In this question, where you used "on" yourself:
> 
> Except that it should be like this:
> 
> What do you do are you doing *on *the New Year's night?


Thank you.
please tell about " I burn firecrackers at *the* night"?


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## VicNicSor

moseen said:


> Thank you.
> please tell about " I burn firecrackers at *the* night"?


"At the night" here is incorrect


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## Lun-14

VicNicSor said:


> In this question, where you used "on" yourself:
> 
> Except that it should be like this:
> 
> What do you do are you doing *on *the New Year's night?


Please reread my explanation (#22) that I gave in support of "at the night". I just want to know why "at *the* night" is wrong. In other words, why can't I use "at *the* night" in this sentence:
"I burn firecrackers at *the* night."
(I used "the" with _night_ here because the night has already been mentioned - New Year's night.)


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## moseen

VicNicSor said:


> "At the night" here is incorrect


I mean, here should we say "on the night" or "in the night"?


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## Lun-14

"The" makes _night _specific, so we talk about some specific night, then we can say "at *the* night".


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## VicNicSor

Lun-14 said:


> Please reread my explanation (#22) that I gave in support of "at the night". I just want to know why "at *the* night" is wrong. In other words, why can't I use "at *the* night" in this sentence:
> "I burn firecrackers at *the* night."
> (I used "the" with _night_ here because the night has already been mentioned - New Year's night.)


You keep boldfacing the "the", but the preposition "at" is wrong. It's just not used like that.


moseen said:


> I mean, here should we say "on the night" or "in the night"?


In this context it would be ON.


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## Florentia52

We use "on the night" when referring to a specific night we wish to reference or observe:

On the night before Christmas, children hang their stockings.
On the night of the big earthquake, most people were in bed.

We say "in the night" (occasionally) to mean "during the night:"

Young children sometimes get frightened in the night.
I like to wander around the city in the night, looking at the darkened shop windows.

I can't think of a context in which we would use "at the night" unless "night" was being used as an adjective:

He stopped his car at the night watchman's post.
She worked at the night desk of the local newspaper.


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## rituparnahoymoy

Lun-14 said:


> You mean to say that I should use "in the night" rather than "at the night" in my example? i.e.
> I burn firecrackers *in* the night.





Lun-14 said:


> Please reread my explanation (#22) that I gave in support of "at the night". I just want to know why "at *the* night" is wrong. In other words, why can't I use "at *the* night" in this sentence:
> "I burn firecrackers at *the* night."
> (I used "the" with _night_ here because the night has already been mentioned - New Year's night.)





moseen said:


> I mean, here should we say "on the night" or "in the night"?



I don't think *we burn firecrackers*. If you want to destroy something you burn it. You can *light* fireworks.

There is a difference between light (ignite) and burn (on fire) .* At the night *is not idiomatic. I hope someone correct me to add to the confusion.


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## rituparnahoymoy

Florentia52 said:


> We use "on the night" when referring to a specific night we wish to reference or observe:
> 
> On the night before Christmas, children hang their stockings.
> On the night of the big earthquake, most people were in bed.
> 
> We say "in the night" (occasionally) to mean "during the night:"
> 
> Young children sometimes get frightened in the night.
> I like to wander around the city in the night, looking at the darkened shop windows.
> 
> I can't think of a context in which we would use "at the night" unless "night" was being used as an adjective:
> 
> He stopped his car at the night watchman's booth.
> She worked at the night desk of the local newspaper.



I think here, On the night is used as On the night of the day before Christmas. Am I right?


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## moseen

VicNicSor said:


> You keep boldfacing the "the", but the preposition "at" is wrong. It's just not used like that.
> 
> In this context it would be ON.


Thank you very much.


Florentia52 said:


> We use "on the night" when referring to a specific night we wish to reference or observe:
> 
> On the night before Christmas, children hang their stockings.
> On the night of the big earthquake, most people were in bed.
> 
> We say "in the night" (occasionally) to mean "during the night:"
> 
> Young children sometimes get frightened in the night.
> I like to wander around the city in the night, looking at the darkened shop windows.
> 
> I can't think of a context in which we would use "at the night" unless "night" was being used as an adjective:
> 
> He stopped his car at the night watchman's post.
> She worked at the night desk of the local newspaper.


I understand, Thank you very much for your help.


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## PaulQ

Lun-14 said:


> "The" makes _night _specific, so we talk about some specific night, then we can say "at *the* night".


No... that is not idiomatic - in fact it is incorrect.

*The *is not used in the type of phrase that I used above in #12 and for the reasons given.

"At night" is a phrase used to express (i) a generality -> "Bats fly at night." "I work at night"- it is something they/I always do. (ii) "We will rob his house at night." -> "At night = at nighttime (or, perhaps easier to understand, "when it is dark".) This does not refer to any particular night.


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## Copyright

rituparnahoymoy said:


> I think here, On the night is used as On the night of the day before Christmas. Am I right?


Yes.


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## Joika

Hello everyone,

Did I get it right?

self-made example:
1) We walked up and down the promenade *on that night*. (they walked for a while on that specific night)
2) We walked up and down the promenade *at night*. (it could either be that they walked every night or on a certain night depending on the context)
3) We walked up and down the promenade *in the night*. (they either walked for some time every night or for some time on a specific night)

Thank you!!


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## esl1

Hello. I thought I would add to this discussion as some time ago I read a theory about why we say "at night".
I will put a caveat by saying that I cannot remember the source and I may be wrong.

"Night" or "all of the night" does not have any specific duration; i.e., it does not have any clear beginning or end.
Imagine how you went to bed last night and woke up this morning; it just happened so quickly for you, didn't it?
You did not even realize when it began and when it ended.

The following terms, therefore, seem to refer to an unspecific point in time, which always seems to be "fleeing."


At dawn
At dusk
At twilight
At night
At noon
At midnight


You cannot really catch these moments and show them to others and say, "Look, this is what we are talking about!"
Remember, you can only use "the" to talk about a specific thing.

Interestingly, "now" does not have the article "the" as it seems to be fleeing from us all the time,
although we say "at the moment".


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## PaulQ

It is an interesting theory, but it is not so.

*At* is locative preposition: it locates its noun to a place in space or time:

1. I will meet you *at* night/dawn/three o’clock. = I will meet you *when it is* night/dawn/three o’clock.

As far as time is concerned, *at* can refer to a specific time (three o’clock), a variable time (dawn) or a duration (night)

2. I will meet you *at* the crossroads/the cinema/John’s house = I will meet you *where* the football ground/the cinema/the bus stop is.

As far as place is concerned, it can be very precise (the bus stop) or quite general (the football ground).



esl1 said:


> You cannot really catch these moments and show them to others and say, "Look, this is what we are talking about!"


This is because the nouns you have used are uncountable in that context. Uncountability implies that the noun is abstract.


esl1 said:


> Remember, you can only use "the" to talk about a specific thing.


A specific thing and a tangible thing are quite different:

We can say "His mind was filled with sorrow." or "His mind was filled with the sorrow." but in both cases "sorrow" is intangible.

We can say "The room was filled with dust." or "The room was filled with the dust." but in both cases "dust" is tangible.



We can say "Sorrow filled his mind." or "The sorrow filled his mind" but in both cases "sorrow" is intangible.


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## esl1

@PaulQ 
Thank you very much for reading my post and sharing your thoughts.
I agree that a specific thing and a tangible thing are two different things.

Let us just come back to why we use *the zero-article *when we say "at night."
I will try to explain again how I understood this theory (which by the way to me also sounded a bit far off!) 

As you say, a point in time can be specific and tangible(or intangible).
But according to this theory, because it is *ephemeral,* it just becomes impossible for us to *identify* it. 
We use the definite article when things are identifiable.

If you think about it, "3 o'clock" can only exist in one second. 
After one second, it becomes "one second past 3 o'clock". 
It is difficult to say that such a point in time really exists because, in a split second, it is gone.   
3`oclock is, therefore, *not identifiable*. 

Similarly, "at night", you go to sleep and you wake up. 
You may have a dream during your sleep but you are basically unconscious while you are asleep.
It is as if you are on a time machine and you jump from the moment of sleep to the moment of waking up. 
Therefore, "night" is considered only lasting for a very short time and we just cannot *identify* it anymore. 

By the way, here are additional words to add to the list. 
These are all *ephemeral* *things*. 


At sunset
At sunrise
At present


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