Learning to say good night in different languages is one of the small courtesies that makes travelling feel warmer. Unlike a greeting such as good morning, good night is a parting phrase: you use it when leaving or heading to bed, not when you arrive. This guide gives you the phrase in two dozen major world languages, with pronunciation for the ones that use another script, a quick tour by region, and the surprising shared history behind the word night itself. For hello and good morning, see our companion guides; here the focus is strictly on the end of the day.
How Do You Say “Good Night” in Every Language?
How to Say “Good Night” in Major European Languages
Notably, we use the term "good night" when parting, unlike greetings such as "good morning," which are used when meeting. This distinction exists in many languages around the world. In English, we say "good night", in French "bonne nuit", and in Italian "buonanotte".
Many European languages have their own way of wishing someone a good night. In German, for example, you can say "gute Nacht". In Dutch, the equivalent is "goedenacht", while in Polish it is "dobranoc" and in Romanian "noapte bună".
Although the words differ from language to language, they all express the same simple wish: a peaceful and restful night.
Other Ways to Say “Good Night” Around the World
Across Europe the phrase stays recognisable: bonne nuit in French, buonanotte in Italian, gute Nacht in German, dobranoc in Polish and noapte bună in Romanian, with god natt shared by Sweden and Norway and hyvää yötä in Finland. In the Balkans you will hear καληνύχτα in Greek and лека нощ (leka nosht) in Bulgarian.
Moving into Asia, Japanese uses お休みなさ い (oyasumi nasai) and Korean 안녕히주무세요 (annyeonghi jumuseyo). Across the Americas, English serves Canada and the United States, Spanish gives buenas noches, and Brazilian Portuguese gives boa noite. In Africa, Swahili offers usiku mwema and Hausa barka da dare.
Different sounds, one simple wish: a peaceful, restful night. Where the word night comes from The English word night is remarkably old and widely shared. It descends from the Proto-Germanic nahts and, further back, the Proto-Indo-European root nókwts, the common ancestor that also gave Latin nox (hence Italian notte, Spanish noche and French nuit), German Nacht, Dutch nacht, Greek nýkta and Sanskrit nákt.
That shared root is why so many of the phrases above rhyme with one another: they are, quite literally, different branches of the same family tree. Night names the span between sunset and sunrise, which is why the wish is reserved for those heading off to sleep.
How is “Good Night” Pronounced in Different Languages?
| Language | Good night | Pronunciation |
| English | good night | |
| French | bonne nuit | bon NWEE |
| Spanish | buenas noches | BWEH-nas NOH-ches |
| Italian | buonanotte | bwoh-nah-NOT-teh |
| Portuguese | boa noite | BOH-ah NOY-cheh |
| German | gute Nacht | GOO-teh NAKHT |
| Dutch | goedenacht | KHOO-deh-nakht |
| Polish | dobranoc | doh-BRAH-nots |
| Romanian | noapte bună | NWAP-teh BOO-nuh |
| Swedish | god natt | good NAHT |
| Norwegian | god natt | good NAHT |
| Danish | godnat | goh-NAD |
| Finnish | hyvää yötä | HUU-vaa UUH-taa |
| Greek | καληνύχτα | kah-lee-NEEKH-tah |
| Russian | спокойной ночи | spah-KOY-nuy NOH-chee |
| Turkish | iyi geceler | ee-YEE geh-jeh-LEHR |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 晚安 | wan-AN |
| Japanese | お休みなさい | oh-yah-soo-mee nah-sigh |
| Korean | 안녕히주무세요 | ahn-nyeong-hee joo-moo-seh-yo |
| Hindi | शुभरा ि | shubh RAA-tri |
| Swahili | usiku mwema | oo-SEE-koo MWEH-mah |
| Hausa | barka da dare | BAR-kah dah DAH-reh |
| Zulu | ulale kahle | oo-LAH-leh GAASH-leh |
Why Do We Say “Good Night”? Origin and Meaning Explained
You've probably exchanged texts with someone late at night, just before bed. When it's time to go to bed, you text the other person "goodnight," because it would be rude to disappear without responding until the next day. Likewise, if you're in the same room with your family and get up from the couch to go to sleep, it would be strange to leave without saying anything. Even then, you say "goodnight" before going to your room.
The word "night" derives from the accusative case of the Latin "nox" and the Sanskrit root "nac-," which has a dual meaning. It means "to disappear," but, as the Latin verb "necare" (meaning "to kill") reminds us, it also means "to perish." Night is the period of time between sunset and sunrise, so we usually wish a good night to those who go to sleep.
Just like "good morning," saying "good night" can be a sincere wish to the person we're speaking to, especially if accompanied by "sweet dreams," but it also seems like the natural end of a conversation just before bed. However, it's a phrase that's been around for quite some time and can simply be a polite way to say goodbye, as well as a way to explicitly let everyone know you're going to sleep.
Summary
To say good night in different languages, start with the ones you are most likely to use: bonne nuit (French), buenas noches (Spanish), gute Nacht (German), buonanotte (Italian) and boa noite (Portuguese). Good night is a parting phrase, used on leaving or before sleep rather than on arrival, and the word night itself traces back to a single Indo-European root shared across dozens of languages. Learn a handful for your next trip, and pick up the rest where they are spoken, on a language course abroad with SPRACHCAFFE.
FAQ
Good night is "buenas noches" in Spanish, "bonne nuit" in French, "gute Nacht" in German, "buonanotte" in Italian and "boa noite" in Portuguese. Most are used when parting for the night or before sleep, not as a general evening greeting.
In most languages good night is a farewell, said when leaving in the evening or before bed, rather than a greeting on arrival. For arriving in the evening, languages usually have a separate phrase, such as the German "Guten Abend".
Good evening greets someone when you meet them later in the day, while good night is said when you part or go to sleep. German makes this clear with "Guten Abend" for arriving and "Gute Nacht" for leaving.
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