buonanotte
/ˌbwɔ.naˈnɔt.te/
The English phrase 'buenas noches' is translated into Italian as buonanotte.
buonanotte is a greeting used when saying goodbye or going to bed at night.
Which one should you use?
Use buonanotte specifically when someone is going to sleep or when you are leaving for the night, whereas buona sera is used as a greeting when arriving somewhere in the evening.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable: /ˌbwɔ.naˈnɔt.te/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
The phrase 'buenas noches' is Spanish, not Italian. The Italian equivalent is buonanotte or buona sera.
Did you know?
- In Italy, if you use buonanotte to greet someone arriving at a party, you might accidentally imply that you are exhausted and ready to go home to sleep.
- The word notte is the root of notturno, a term used for a specific type of musical composition designed to evoke the atmosphere of the night.
- buonanotte is a result of 'univerbation', a linguistic process where the separate words buona and notte fused into a single unit over centuries.
Examples in context
- Buonanotte a tutti.Goodnight to everyone.
- Vado a dormire, buonanotte!I'm going to sleep, goodnight!
- Buonanotte, sogni d'oro.Goodnight, sweet dreams.
Example conversation
Martina and Lorenzo are finishing a movie at night.
- MartinaÈ tardi, io vado a letto.It's late, I'm going to bed.
- LorenzoHai ragione, sono stanco.You're right, I'm tired.
- MartinaAllora, buonanotte Lorenzo!Well then, goodnight Lorenzo!
- LorenzoBuonanotte anche a te, Martina.Goodnight to you too, Martina.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry buonanotte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries buonanotte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
