Learning how to say good night in Spanish is a basic but extremely important social interaction to practice. Saying good night is a great way to boost your confidence and show politeness in your interactions with Spanish speakers, no matter if the conversation is formal or simply casual.
Just like in English and other languages, Spanish has different ways to say good night depending on the context. For example, buenas noches (good evening/good night) is perfect for practically any situation (this is your trusty go-to!). Then dulces sueños (sweet dreams) is more personal and best used with family and friends..
In the short list of Spanish phrases for beginners, knowing how to say good night in Spanish properly according to the audience and setting is key. We promise we won’t have you yawning!
Okay, so, there’s a good chance you’ve already heard (or even used) buenas noches more than a few times before. But what does it really mean? And how do we use it?
Buenas noches literally translates to ‘good nights’ in English, and it’s the most common and neutral way to say good night in Spanish. It’s suitable in all kinds of scenarios and with all types of audiences, no matter how formal or casual. Chatting with your in-laws? Perfect. Finishing a video call with a colleague? No problem. Saying good night to your Spanish-speaking partner? You got it.
Now, let’s take a look at a few quick examples using buenas noches to clear it all up:
You’ve probably also noticed that many phrases we use to say hi or goodbye in Spanish, like buenas noches and buenos días (good morning), use the plural form. Nevertheless, in some parts of Latin America, we might hear singular versions like buen día and buena tarde (good afternoon). You’re safe using these as well.
Just keep in mind: it’s important to match the form to the correct gender and number to avoid mix-ups like buena noches or buenas días, which are both incorrect. Remember that tarde and noche are feminine nouns and día is masculine, and that if you add an ‘s’ to any of these, they become plural.
Yes, buenas noches can be used pretty much in all situations and with any audience. If we really want to level up our conversation skills and make our interactions feel personal, it’s a good idea to learn other ways to say good night.
Let’s dive into some of the most common ways to say good night in Spanish according to context and intention:
These phrases are particularly common amongst friends and family:
Note: Out of these, only buenas noches and hasta mañana should be used in formal environments. The rest are either too casual or too personal for the office.
Many of us are learning the language because we’d like to impress our Spanish-speaking partner! Are you? Here are some romantic ways to wish a good night in Spanish:
The following expressions will help you sound more natural. Be aware that they’re quite casual and should be used only with close acquaintances:
Note: Vete a dormir is a command often used by parents with their children. If you’d like to use it with other adults, be sure your tone comes across as friendly or playful to avoid sounding harsh.
Would you like to politely say good night to a Spanish-speaking colleague without relying on the classic (and sometimes tired) buenas noches? These phrases are perfect for formal situations:
Remember that Spanish distinguishes between two forms of ‘you’: usted and tú. Tú is informal and can be used with young people, peers, friends, most family members and close colleagues. On the other hand, usted is commonly used to address older strangers, professors and teachers, workplace superiors and, oftentimes, grandparents. The verb conjugation in formal vs. informal Spanish is also different. Be sure to use the right verb form when going for usted.
As we mentioned earlier, buenas noches is one of the most neutral and versatile ways to say good night in Spanish. And this isn’t just because it can be used in both formal and casual scenarios, but also because it works both as a greeting and a farewell (yay!). This, of course, is different from American English, where we use ‘good evening’ to say hi and ‘good night’ to say goodbye.
And we’ve got some more good news: we can typically use buenas noches anytime after nightfall, regardless of whether we’re actually heading to bed already or just greeting someone in the evening. It is, indeed, an all time hero!
Now, if we wanna make it clear that we’re saying good night because we’re going to sleep, then we can go with the following phrases:
But what if we mean to use buenas noches as a greeting? Then we’ve go these options:
The key to differentiating the greeting from the farewell is to pay attention to the context. If there’s an hola or another conversation opener, then it’s safe to say it’s a greeting. On the other hand, if it comes after having already engaged in conversation or if it’s paired with something like hasta luego (until next time) or nos vemos (see you later), then we have a farewell.
Alright, we’ve now explored different ways to say good night in various contexts. But there’s still an elephant in the room: when exactly should we say good night in Spanish-speaking countries?
Well, in Spain, for example, buenas noches and other nighttime farewells are generally used after 8:00 PM. Before that, it’s better to stick to buenas tardes (good afternoon). However, in Latin America, people tend to switch to buenas noches at dusk, just before it gets dark.
When it comes to tone, we shouldn’t forget to use usted when talking to older strangers and our superiors. We should avoid overly personal language like dulces sueños or me voy a dormir unless we’re with family or friends.
What about texting? All of the expressions we’ve shared also work well in text messaging!
Buenas noches (good night) is used only at night, while buenas tardes (good afternoon) is appropriate from 12:00 PM until nightfall.
In Spanish, buenas noches (good night) is both a greeting and a farewell, so it’s suitable for starting or ending a conversation. To make our intention clearer, we can pair it with expressions like ¿cómo estás? (how are you?) or hasta mañana (until tomorrow), depending on whether we’re saying hi or goodbye.
Now that you know how to say good night in Spanish in so many different ways, it’s time to put it all into practice! Whether you’re chatting with your Spanish-speaking best friend, partner or colleague, personalizing your conversations will help you sound more natural and approachable. A good tip is to pick a couple of your favorite phrases and start from there.
And if you’re ready to take your skills to the next level, join us at Lingoda! Our native-level teachers and real-life conversation focus will get you to speak Spanish from day one… All from the comfort of your own home and at your own pace. Day and night!
