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yesterday evening
/ˈjɛstərˌdeɪ ˈiːv(ə)nɪŋ/
the time period of the previous evening
I met her yesterday evening at the café.
The meeting took place during the evening of the day before today.
neutral
The evening of the day before today.
We had dinner together yesterday evening.
The meal occurred during the previous evening.
She called me yesterday evening around 8 PM.
The phone call happened during the evening of the day before today.
Used to specify a time frame in the recent past. Often interchangeable with 'last night' in casual speech, though 'last night' specifically refers to the nighttime hours.
Collocations
yesterday eveningthe evening of the previous daylate yesterday eveningthe later part of the previous eveningearly yesterday eveningthe beginning part of the previous evening
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Mistake: 'Yesterday evening' vs. 'Last night'
'Yesterday evening' refers to the entire evening period of the previous day, while 'last night' specifically refers to the nighttime hours (after sunset). Use 'yesterday evening' for clarity in formal contexts.
Gold Rule
Temporal Precision
Use 'yesterday evening' to specify the entire evening of the previous day, not just the nighttime hours. For example, 'I went for a walk yesterday evening' implies the activity occurred during the evening, not necessarily after dark.
Word Origin
Composed of 'yesterday' (Old English 'geostran dæg', meaning 'the day before today') and 'evening' (Old English 'ǣfen', referring to the time between sunset and bedtime). The phrase emerged in Middle English as a temporal reference to the evening of the prior day.
Usage Notes
This phrase is commonly used in both spoken and written English to refer to the evening of the day immediately preceding the current day. It is more specific than 'last night,' which typically implies the nighttime hours (after sunset). In formal writing, 'yesterday evening' is preferred over 'last night' to avoid ambiguity.
Word Breakdown
yesterday
the day before today
nounevening
the time between sunset and bedtime
nounEnglish Dictionary