"Est-ce qu'il va geler la nuit prochaine ?"

Translation: Is it going to freeze tonight?

[Irene253410]

Doesn't la nuit prochaine mean tomorrow night?

[Trofaste]

Nope. You can think of it as "the night following the current moment", which is, of course, tonight.

[Dacia.Myst]

Couldn't you also say "the next night" to mean that? Because "the next night" that will come after the current moment is after all "tonight." :)

[n6zs]

In English, we would not say "the next night" to mean "tonight", even though it may seem logical, as if to say "the night that will come next". It just isn't said that way.

[CR.Olivia]

n6zs....are you a native English speaker (just curious : ) ...you used "we") or a native french speaker? Aug. 13, 2018

[n6zs]

It's understood to mean the night in closest proximity to the current time, i.e., tonight.

[amharris1962]

"Prochaine" means next, doesn't it. Why isn't "cette" used here?

[Trofaste]

It does, but "la nuit prochaine" means "tonight". "cette nuit" is also perfectly correct and accepted.

[CR.Olivia]

Ce soir okay?

[Trofaste]

"ce soir" is "this evening", which isn't quite the same thing. But since "tonight" in English is often used with a similar meaning, it's accepted.

[amharris1962]

"Cette nuit" is not accepted.

[Trofaste]

What was your entire answer and what type of exercise was it?

[Zaphryn]

Then how do you actually say "the next night" if this means tonight?

[amharris1962]

I thought "ce soir" meant tonight.

[TrevorTeed]

Suppose it was nighttime when this question was posed? Would it then refer to the following night?