Good night in Japanese is おやすみなさい (oyasumi nasai), said when someone is going to bed or when you part late at night. With family, friends and partners, the shorter おやすみ (oyasumi) is normal. It is not an evening greeting: to say "good evening" when you meet someone, use こんばんは (konbanwa).
- Polite
- おやすみなさい (oyasumi nasai)
- Casual
- おやすみ (oyasumi)
- Good evening (greeting)
- こんばんは (konbanwa)
- Kanji spelling
- お休みなさい
- Level
- A1
What is the difference between oyasumi and oyasumi nasai?
おやすみなさい is the full, polite form and おやすみ the relaxed one. Parents say おやすみ to their children; a guest staying with a host family would use おやすみなさい.
| Japanese | Romaji | Register | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| おやすみ | oyasumi | Casual | Family, partners, friends, bedtime messages |
| おやすみなさい | oyasumi nasai | Polite | Hosts, guests, teachers, anyone older |
| おやすみなさいませ | oyasumi nasaimase | Very polite | Hotel or inn staff to guests |
| こんばんは | konbanwa | Neutral | Greeting someone in the evening, not saying good night |
The phrase is built on 休む (yasumu, "to rest"), so it literally asks the other person to rest. That is why it belongs at the end of the day, not the start of an evening out.
Is oyasumi a greeting or a goodbye?
A goodbye for the night. Arriving at a dinner at eight, say こんばんは. Leaving at eleven, おやすみなさい works if everyone is heading home to sleep. Leaving the office late is different: colleagues say お先に失礼します (osaki ni shitsurei shimasu, "excuse me for leaving first") or お疲れ様でした (otsukaresama deshita) rather than good night.
もう寝るね。おやすみ。
Mō neru ne. Oyasumi.
I'm off to bed. Night.
おやすみなさい。また明日。
Oyasumi nasai. Mata ashita.
Good night. See you tomorrow.
ゆっくり休んでね。
Yukkuri yasunde ne.
Get a good rest.
Caring and casual; the same verb 休む as in oyasumi.
今日はありがとう。おやすみ！
Kyō wa arigatō. Oyasumi!
Thanks for today. Night!
A typical last message of the day.
How do you reply to oyasumi nasai?
Say it back at the same level of politeness. If your host says おやすみなさい, answer おやすみなさい. If a friend sends おやすみ, return おやすみ, perhaps adding また明日 (mata ashita, "see you tomorrow").
いい夢見てね。
Ii yume mite ne.
Sweet dreams.
Literally "see a good dream". Affectionate: for partners, children and close friends.
うん、おやすみ。
Un, oyasumi.
Yeah, good night.
Casual reply.
For other ways to part company, see how to say goodbye in Japanese.
What else can oyasumi mean?
Without なさい, お休み is also an everyday noun for a day off, a holiday or a break. Context makes the meaning clear.
明日はお休みです。
Ashita wa oyasumi desu.
Tomorrow is a day off. / We're closed tomorrow.
From a colleague, or on a shop notice.
お休みの日は何をしますか。
Oyasumi no hi wa nani o shimasu ka.
What do you do on your days off?
夏休み
natsuyasumi
summer holidays
The same 休み, here without お.
Try a free Japanese story at A1 and tap any word you don't know for its meaning.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce oyasumi nasai?
Roughly "oh-yah-soo-mee nah-sai", with no strong stress on any syllable. The casual おやすみ is simply the first part: "oh-yah-soo-mee".
Can you text oyasumi?
Yes. おやすみ is one of the most common last messages of the day between friends and partners, often stretched with a wavy dash: おやすみ〜.
Is oyasumi nasai written in kanji?
It can be: お休みなさい. Both spellings are correct, and hiragana おやすみなさい is very common in messages.
How do you say good evening in Japanese?
こんばんは (konbanwa). It is a greeting for arriving or meeting someone after dark. おやすみなさい is for parting before sleep.