Good night in Italian is Buonanotte (bwoh-nah-NOT-teh). Say it when someone is going to bed, or when you part late at night. It is never a greeting: to say hello in the evening, use Buonasera. With family and partners, add Sogni d'oro (sweet dreams, literally "golden dreams").
- Good night
- Buonanotte
- Good evening (greeting)
- Buonasera
- Have a nice evening
- Buona serata
- Sweet dreams
- Sogni d'oro
- Level
- A1
Buonasera or buonanotte: what is the difference?
English uses good night only for bedtime and late goodbyes, and Italian is the same. The words for the evening before that are buonasera and buona serata.
| Italian | Meaning | When | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buonasera! | Good evening! | Arriving, or leaving a shop, from mid-afternoon | Any |
| Buona serata! | Have a nice evening! | Parting when the evening is still going on | Any |
| Buonanotte! | Good night! | Bedtime, or the last goodbye of a late night | Any |
| Notte! | Night! | Bedtime, often in a message | Casual, tu |
| Sogni d'oro! | Sweet dreams! | Bedtime | Affectionate: children, partners, family |
| Dormi bene! | Sleep well! | Bedtime | Informal, tu |
| Dorma bene! | Sleep well! | Bedtime | Formal, Lei: a guest in a hotel or B&B |
How do you say good night to a child or a partner?
Bedtime is where Italian gets tender. Buonanotte is usually followed by a pet name, and sogni d'oro is a classic for children.
Buonanotte, tesoro.
Good night, sweetheart.
Sogni d'oro, piccola.
Sweet dreams, little one.
Piccola to a girl, piccolo to a boy.
Notte, amore. A domani.
Night, love. See you tomorrow.
Buonanotte a tutti!
Good night, everyone!
Buonanotte, signora. Dorma bene.
Good night, madam. Sleep well.
Formal, to a guest or an older neighbour.
To answer, repeat the wish or bounce it back: Buonanotte anche a te (good night to you too), or anche a Lei to someone you address formally.
How do you say I'm going to bed in Italian?
The everyday phrase is vado a letto, literally "I go to bed". Italian uses the present tense where English says "I'm going". In chapter 2 of a Contos A2 mystery, a young baker uses bedtime as cover for a stake-out in her own shop:
Dice a Nonna Iolanda che è stanca e va a letto presto.From The Secret Recipe Book of Bakers' Street, chapter 2 (A2)
Sono stanco morto. Vado a letto.
I'm dead tired. I'm going to bed.
Stanca morta, for a woman.
È tardi, vado a dormire.
It's late, I'm off to sleep.
Io vado. Buonanotte!
I'm off. Good night!
Read an A2 Italian mystery chapter at bedtime and tap any word for its meaning.
Read free in your browserDoes buonanotte have another meaning?
Yes. Tacked onto the end of a sentence, e buonanotte means roughly "and that's that" or "end of story": the matter is closed. It is informal and sounds a little resigned.
Se non risponde, andiamo senza di lui e buonanotte.
If he doesn't answer, we'll go without him, and that's that.
Good morning has its own page: how to say good morning in Italian.
Frequently asked questions
Is it buonanotte or buona notte?
Both spellings are correct, but buonanotte as one word is far more common today. Unlike buon in buongiorno, buona keeps its final a because notte is feminine.
Can you say buonanotte when you arrive somewhere at night?
No. Buonanotte is only for parting or bedtime. Walking into a restaurant at ten at night, you still say buonasera.
How do you pronounce buonanotte?
"Bwoh-nah-NOT-teh". Hold the double t slightly longer than a single one, as Italian double consonants are genuinely doubled, and stress the not.
What does sogni d'oro mean?
Literally "golden dreams". It is the Italian sweet dreams: affectionate, used with children, partners and family. Between adult friends, buonanotte or notte is more usual.