Question

When to use good evening, good night, good pm, good afternoon?thanks.

Teechr · Accepted Answer

When can I use "good evening", "good night", ~~good pm,~~ and "good afternoon"?

Good evening: To greet someone anytime between sunset and midnight.
Good afternoon: To greet someone anytime between noon and sunset.
Good night: To say bye to someone anytime between sunset and midnight.

There is no "good pm" greeting in English.

Fivejedjon · Answer

teechrGood evening: To greet someone anytime between sunset and midnight.Good afternoon: To greet someone anytime between noon and sunset.

It's not quite as clear-cut as that, at least not for speakers of BrE in Britain*.

The time for "Good afternoon" begins some time in the thirty to forty minutes after twelve o'clock. It extends to about five o'clock, perhaps a little later in the summer. The time for "Good evening" rarely begins before about six o'clock and rarely extends to after ten o'clock.

There are thus grey areas immediately after noon (Good morning/afternoon), between about 17.00 and 19.00 (Good afternoon/evening), depending on the season, and between about 22.00 and 02.00 (Good evening/?/Good morning) throughout the year when some people will say one thing and some another.

*Life was far simpler for us when we worked in Oman. There, where the sun never set before about 17.20 or after 18.00, sunset always marked the break between afternoon and evening for speakers of BrE. The 'evening' went on till bedtime.

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