gute Nacht zusammen
The English phrase "good night everyone" can be said in German as gute Nacht zusammen.
gute Nacht zusammen is a farewell used to wish a group of people a good night before they go to sleep or leave. It is important to note that Gute Nacht is strictly a farewell used when people are going to sleep or parting ways for the night. It is not used as a greeting when arriving at a location.
Which one should you use?
While gute Nacht zusammen is common and friendly, Gute Nacht allerseits is a slightly more formal way to address a group.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Bavarian dialect, you can say A scheena Obnd no to mean "A beautiful evening to all". In the Austrian dialect, Gute Nacht z'samm is used for "Good night all together".
Did you know?
- The word zusammen shares the same ancient root as the English word 'same', both originating from the Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'one' or 'together'.
- In many German-speaking regions, if you say Gute Nacht to someone who has just arrived at a party, you are accidentally implying that you want them to go to sleep immediately.
- In Germany, saying gute Nacht to a child often accompanies a specific ritual of kissing the forehead or tucking them in.
Examples in context
- Guten Abend allerseits. Ich danke Ihnen für Ihre Teilnahme und wünsche Ihnen eine gute Nacht.Good evening, everyone. I thank you for your participation and wish you all a good night.
- Gute Nacht, Leute. Schlaf gut und bis morgen!Good night, folks. Sleep well and see you tomorrow!
- Schlaft gut, gute Nacht zusammen.Sleep well, good night everyone.
Example conversation
Felix and Julia are leaving a group dinner at a friend's house.
- FelixWir machen uns jetzt auf den Weg.We are heading out now.
- JuliaJa, es war ein schöner Abend.Yes, it was a lovely evening.
- FelixGute Nacht zusammen!Good night everyone!
- JuliaSchlaft gut, bis bald!Sleep well, see you soon!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Nacht, zusammen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
