Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| تُصْبِح عَلَى خَيْر | tuṣbiḥ ʕalā ḵayr |
| لَيْلَة سَعِيدَة | layla saʕīda |
تُصْبِح عَلَى خَيْر is said when someone is actually going to sleep or retiring for the night. It is the warm, natural good night used in homes across the Arab world.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally means may you wake up upon goodness, wishing the person a good morning after the night.
Which one should you use?
لَيْلَة سَعِيدَة (layla saʕīda) literally means happy night. It is a general good night wish, while تُصْبِح عَلَى خَيْر is the idiomatic way to say good night before sleep.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb changes with the person you address. Use تُصْبِح عَلَى خَيْر for a man, تُصْبِحِي عَلَى خَيْر for a woman and تُصْبِحُوا عَلَى خَيْر for a group.
How do you pronounce it?
It is read tuṣbiḥ ʕalā ḵayr. The last word ends with a sound like the ch in Scottish loch.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use the masculine form for a woman. Say تُصْبِحِي عَلَى خَيْر to her instead.
When do people say it?
The standard reply to a man is وَأَنْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ, and you too are among its people, meaning may goodness find you as well. The reply to a woman uses the feminine you.
Did you know?
- The word خَيْر in the phrase تُصْبِح عَلَى خَيْر can refer to 'wealth' as well as 'goodness' or 'blessing'.
- While لَيْلَة سَعِيدَة sounds like a direct translation of 'good night', it is often used as a formal sign-off in media or hotels rather than a cozy phrase used between family members before sleep.
- When you reply to تُصْبِح عَلَى خَيْر with وَأَنْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ, you are literally telling the other person that they belong to the 'people' of that goodness.
Examples in context
- تُصْبِح عَلَى خَيْر يا أَبِي.tusbiḥ 'alā khayr yā abī.Good night, father.
- تُصْبِح عَلَى خَيْر يا صَدِيقِي.tusbiḥ 'alā khayr yā ṣadīqī.Good night, my friend.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good night” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
