Are you wondering about the ways to say good night in the French language? Wishing someone a good evening is part of a farewell or a greeting. Although “good night” or “good evening” are simple words to translate into French and use, you might also learn some variations to adapt to different situations or sound more interesting.
This article goes over all the ways you can say goodnight in French and other valuable sentences you can use.
Difference Between Bonne Nuit And Bonne Soirée
The literal translation of good night in French is Bonne nuit. But you can say many other things to wish a good night to someone. In French, another common phrase to tell the good night is Bonne soirée. But they are not interchangeable.
“Bonne nuit” is generally used when you are about to go to bed, or it is the end of the night, and you are not going to do anything else or see your friend or family member again until the next time.
For example, if you are out with your friends and the evening has ended, you can say “good night” before you go. Or, if you are at home and going to sleep, you can say “Bonne nuit” to the rest of the family.
Another way to look at it is that bonne soirée can be used to address other people when they are continuing to do other activities for the evening hours or the night. So, for example, it is possible to use bonne soirée even when it is very late and your friend or family member is going out to a party or evening affair.
However, both phrases are used at the end of an appointment, toward the end of the night, or as a goodbye.
Best Ways To Say Good Night In French
Although you can get away with bonne soirée or bonne nuit, there are many other things you can say to wish good night in French. Depending on the situation, you might want to be funnier, sweet, or otherwise change your way of saying good night in French.
Here are some different ways to say good night in French:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Fais de beaux rêves/Faites de beaux rêves | Sweet Dreams/sweet dreams (to use for multiple people) |
| Bonne soirée | Good evening |
| Bonne nuit mon amour | Goodnight my Love |
| Dors bien/Dormez bien | Sleep well/Sleep well (plural) |
| Bonne nuit à tous | Good night all |
| Je vais dormir | I’m going to go to sleep (informal way) |
| Bonne nuit | Good night |
| Passe une bonne nuit | Have a good night’s sleep |
| À demain | See you tomorrow |
| Dors avec les anges | Sleep with the angels |
| Je vais compter les moutons | I go counting sheep |
| Rêver de moi | Dream about me! |
| A demain matin | See you in the morning |
| Je rêverai de toi | I’ll be dreaming of you |
| Dormez bien | Sleep Tight |
| Faire Dodo | Go to bed (used for children) |
How Do You Say Goodnight Romantically In French?
You might want to learn some romantic ways to say good night in the French language. It is possible to use a lot of creativity even in saying little things such as good night. If you have a special friend, you might benefit from the following expressions:
- Embrasse-moi toujours bonne nuit – Always kiss me goodnight
- Bonsoir; Je dormirai avec toi dans mon coeur – Goodnight; I’ll sleep with you in my heart
- Bonsoir; Je te rencontrerai dans mes rêves – Bonsoir; Je te rencontrerai dans mes rêves
- Bonne nuit, ma chérie – Goodnight, sweetheart
- Bonsoir. Fais de beaux rêves ce soir – Goodnight. Dream beautiful dreams tonight
- Bonne nuit, dors bien, ne laisse pas les punaises de lit piquer – Goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite
- Je me sens si chanceux de vous avoir. Bonsoir – I feel so lucky to have you. Goodnight
Sleep-Related Terms
When talking about going to sleep, there are other things that are useful to learn. For example, you can learn to say how you slept and if the night was good or not.
If you want to describe how well (or bad) you slept, you can use the following expressions:
- Je dors bien – I sleep well
- Je dors comme un bébé – I sleep like a baby
- Je dors comme un sabot – I sleep like a hoof
- Je dors comme un ange – I sleep like an angel
- Je dors à la belle étoile – I sleep under the stars
- Faire la grasse matinée – To sleep in
- Passer une nuit blanche – Stay awake
- Piquer un some – To take a nap
- Ne dormir que d’un œil – Sleep with one eye open
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