Good night in French is bonne nuit (bun NWEE), said at bedtime or to someone you know is going to sleep. To greet someone in the evening, say bonsoir instead; to part after an evening out, say bonne soirée (have a good evening). Add dors bien (sleep well) to someone you call tu, dormez bien with vous.
- Good night (bedtime)
- bonne nuit
- Good evening (hello)
- bonsoir
- Have a good evening
- bonne soirée
- Sleep well
- dors bien / dormez bien
- Level
- A1
Bonne nuit, bonsoir or bonne soirée?
English uses "good night" for two jobs: going to bed and leaving a dinner party. French keeps them apart. Bonne nuit is for sleep; leaving friends at 11 pm after a meal, you would say bonne soirée or, late on, bonne fin de soirée (enjoy the rest of your evening), unless they are clearly heading to bed.
| French | Literally | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Bonsoir | Good evening | Arriving, or greeting someone after about 6 pm |
| Bonne soirée | Have a good evening | Leaving someone during the evening |
| Bonne fin de soirée | Good end of the evening | Leaving late, when the evening is winding down |
| Bonne nuit | Good night | Someone is going to bed, or you are |
| Dors bien / Dormez bien | Sleep well | Bedtime; tu / vous |
| Fais de beaux rêves | Have beautiful dreams | Sweet dreams, mostly to children and partners |
What do French speakers say at bedtime?
Bedtime is a tu moment for most people, so these are in the informal form. With a guest staying the night whom you call vous, switch to dormez bien and faites de beaux rêves.
Bonne nuit, mon cœur. Dors bien.
Good night, sweetheart. Sleep well.
Fais de beaux rêves.
Sweet dreams.
Je vais me coucher.
I'm going to bed.
À demain !
See you tomorrow!
Very common straight after bonne nuit.
Bonne nuit, à demain. Bisous.
Night, see you tomorrow. Love.
A typical goodnight text. Bisous (kisses) is informal.
To reply, return the wish: Bonne nuit, toi aussi or just toi aussi. With vous: vous aussi.
How do you say you slept well in French?
The next morning, someone will ask Tu as bien dormi ? Answer Oui, très bien or, for a deep sleep, use an idiom: dormir comme un loir (to sleep like a dormouse) or dormir comme un bébé (to sleep like a baby).
A Contos mystery on a night train to Nice uses that second idiom as a clue. A brooch has gone missing overnight, and a suspect is a little too keen to say she never woke up:
« Moi ? J'ai dormi comme un bébé, répondit Colette avec un grand sourire.The detective's reply is the joke: you shouldn't say "like a baby", because babies wake up every two hours. Colette's coat is wet, too, so she was not in bed all night.
J'ai très mal dormi.
I slept really badly.
Je n'ai pas fermé l'œil de la nuit.
I didn't sleep a wink.
Literally "I didn't close my eye all night".
Read French stories at A1 and tap any word, such as nuit or dormir, to see what it means.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce bonne nuit?
Say "bun NWEE". Nuit is one syllable: start with your lips rounded for the French u, then glide quickly into "ee". Do not pronounce the final t.
Can I say bonne nuit when I leave a restaurant?
Only if you know the people are going home to bed. Otherwise staff and friends will expect bonne soirée, or bonne fin de soirée late in the evening.
Why is it bonne nuit and not bon nuit?
Nuit is feminine (la nuit), so the adjective takes the feminine form bonne. The same goes for bonne soirée and bonne journée. Bonsoir and bonjour are written as one word, with the masculine bon.
How do you say good night to a child in French?
Bonne nuit, mon trésor (good night, my treasure) or bonne nuit, mon chéri / ma chérie, often with fais de beaux rêves (sweet dreams) and a bisou (a kiss).
What does bonne nuit les petits mean?
"Good night, little ones". It is the title of a classic French children's bedtime TV programme, and an ordinary way to say good night to small children.