buonanotte
/ˌbwɔ.naˈnɔt.te/
buonanotte is the Italian way to say "goodnight".
buonanotte is a parting salutation used specifically when the speaker or the listener is retiring for sleep or leaving for the night.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of buona (good) and notte (night).
Which one should you use?
Use buonasera as a greeting when arriving or during the evening. In contrast, use buonanotte only when someone is actually going to sleep or departing for the night.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌbwɔ.naˈnɔt.te/. It has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- While buonasera is a general evening greeting, saying buonanotte to someone who is still staying out to socialize or have dinner can sound like you are rudely telling them to go to bed.
- While buonanotte is used for sleep, Italians use the phrase dormi bene or fai sogni d'oro to wish someone 'golden dreams', which is the equivalent of saying 'sweet dreams'.
- The word notte traces its roots back to the Latin 'nox', which is the direct ancestor of the English word 'nocturnal'.
Examples in context
- Buonanotte a tutti.Goodnight to everyone.
- Buonanotte, sogni d'oro!Goodnight, sweet dreams!
Example conversation
Martina and Matteo are finishing a phone call late at night.
- MartinaÈ tardi, vado a dormire.It is late, I am going to sleep.
- MatteoVa bene, buonanotte Martina.Alright, goodnight Martina.
- MartinaBuonanotte anche a te, Matteo.Goodnight to you too, Matteo.
- MatteoA domani!See you tomorrow!
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.
