Which Word When (Again)?

Question

Another one of those nuances that I cannot really see any pattern to is when to use the words "soir" or "nuit". "Soir" seems to be used more frequently with the phrase "every night" ("tous les soirs", "chaque soir") but not exclusively. Every now & then I see "tous les nuits" or "chaque nuit" for the same phrase.

Should "nuit" be used only when there is a specific time frame, like when somebody works a night shift or the specific time is given that makes it obvious that the action is taking place "at night", & "soir" be used in a more generic sense?

Accepted Answer

Hi Jeffrey, 
Just to add to what Chris has said, this has been asked before and maybe my answer to another student will help you -
https://french.kwiziq.com/questions/view/nuit-et-soir
 
To answer your question re- shift work we would indeed speak of - 
l'équipe de nuit   opposite of     l'équipe de jour 
Hope this helps!

Answer

I don't think there's a specific time that separates soir from nuit. It's the same in English with "evening" and "night". In general, nuit is the time of inactivity where most people sleep. Soir is the time when it's dark outside but you're not yet preparing to go to bed.

In some circumstances, French gravitates toward soir, where English would use "night" and vice versa. I'm not aware of a rule. You just have to get used to those specific phrases.

Answer

Thanks for the responses. I'm not really trying to memorize rules but to improve my intuitive understanding of the language (and to improve my speed in translation, typing, etc). This type of info is very helpful.