buenas noches
/ˌbwenas ˈnot͡ʃes/
The English phrase "enjoy your night" can be translated into Spanish as buenas noches.
While buenas noches literally translates to "good night", it is the standard way to wish someone a pleasant evening or to say goodbye when leaving a social gathering at night. It functions as a polite greeting used when saying goodbye to someone in the evening.
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, which distinguishes between "good evening" (greeting) and "good night" (farewell), buenas noches is used for both arriving and departing in the evening. In terms of wishing someone a good night, you can use several variations: Que tenga una buena noche or Que disfrute su noche to express "May you have a good night" or "enjoy your night" formally, while Que tengas una buena noche, Que disfrutes tu noche or Que pases una noche genial are used for informal situations.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase buenas noches is grammatically fixed in the plural. You cannot use the singular buena noche to mean "good night" in this context.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌbwenas ˈnotʃes/
Did you know?
- While buenas noches is used for both greeting and parting, saying buenas noches to someone who is clearly about to go to bed can sometimes be interpreted as a hint that you want them to leave.
- In highly formal settings or older literature, you may encounter buena noche in the singular, but using it in modern conversation would sound unnatural or poetic.
- The word buenas in this phrase is likely a shortened version of buenas tardes, which is the greeting used for the afternoon and early evening.
Examples in context
- Que tengas una buena noche, amigo/aHave a good night, friend!
- Buenas noches, que descanse.Good night, rest well.
- Buenas noches, nos vemos mañana.Good night, see you tomorrow.
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are leaving a restaurant after dinner.
- MateoLa cena estuvo muy rica.The dinner was very delicious.
- ElenaSí, fue un gusto verte.Yes, it was a pleasure to see you.
- MateoBuenas noches, Elena.Good night, Elena.
- ElenaIgualmente, Mateo, hasta pronto.Likewise, Mateo, see you soon.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry buenas noches, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries buenas, CC BY-SA 4.0.
