Call it a night
Meaning: To decide to stop what you're doing and go home or go to bed, ending the evening's activities.
Calling it a night is the socially acceptable way to say you're done partying. It's the opposite of rallying — instead of pushing through, you're acknowledging that the night is over for you. 'I'm calling it a night' is the polite exit phrase at American social events.
Examples
- It's 2 AM — I think I'm going to call it a night. 已经凌晨2点了——我觉得该收工了。Son las 2 de la mañana — creo que lo voy a dejar por hoy.もう午前2時だ——そろそろお開きにしようかな。벌써 새벽 2시야 — 슬슬 마무리해야겠다.
- We called it a night after the last bar closed. 最后一家酒吧关门后,我们就收工了。Dimos la noche por terminada después de que cerrase el último bar.最後のバーが閉まった後、お開きにした。마지막 바가 문 닫은 후에 마무리했어.
- She called it a night early because she had a flight at 6 AM. 她因为早上6点有航班,所以提前收工了。Ella se fue pronto porque tenía un vuelo a las 6 de la mañana.朝6時のフライトがあったから、彼女は早めに切り上げた。아침 6시 비행기가 있어서 그녀는 일찍 마무리했어.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: end of evening, parties, social events
Tone: decisive, responsible
✓ Do Say
- I'm calling it a night.我要收工了。Yo lo dejo por esta noche.そろそろお開きにするよ。나는 이만 마무리할게.
- Should we call it a night?我们该收工了吧?¿Lo dejamos por hoy?もうお開きにする?우리 이제 마무리할까?
✗ Don't Say
- Respect someone's decision to call it a night — don't pressure them to stay尊重别人决定收工的选择——不要逼他们留下来Respeta la decisión de alguien de dejarlo por esta noche — no le presiones para que se quedeお開きにするという人の判断を尊重すること——残るように無理強いしないこと누군가 마무리하겠다는 결정을 존중하세요 — 더 있으라고 압박하지 마세요
Origin & History
Standard American English expression, widely used since the mid-20th century. The phrase implies a deliberate decision to end the evening, as opposed to being forced to stop.
Cultural Context
Era: Mid-20th century onwards
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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