laku noć
Latin
The English phrase "good night" is translated into Bosnian as laku noć.
laku noć is a way to say good night that is slightly warmer and more familiar but can still be used in formal situations.
Meaning: a farewell (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal combination of laku (accusative feminine form of lake, meaning light/gentle) and noć (night).
Which one should you use?
Mirnu noć translates to peaceful night and can be used as an alternative to good night in formal settings. Prijatno spavanje translates to pleasant sleep and is used to wish someone a good night's sleep in an informal manner.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase laku noć, the adjective laka is in the accusative case to match the direct object of the implied verb željeti (to wish), making the full thought 'I wish you a light night.'
Did you know?
- If you want to be extra affectionate with a child, you might say Laku noć, mrvice, which means 'Light night, little crumb'.
- In some regions, instead of wishing a light night, people might say Sretan san, which translates to 'Happy dream'.
- The word noć shares a common ancestor with the English word 'night' and the Latin 'nox', tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root *nókʷts.
Examples in context
- Mirna noć i slatki snovi!Wishing you a peaceful night and sweet dreams!
- Laku noć, svi.Good night, everyone.
- Laku noć, draga moja.Good night, my dear.
Example conversation
Lejla and Tarik are finishing a phone call late at night.
- LejlaBilo je lijepo razgovarati s tobom.It was nice talking to you.
- TarikI meni. Laku noć, Lejla.Me too. Good night, Lejla.
- LejlaLaku noć, Tarik. Čujemo se sutra.Good night, Tarik. We'll talk tomorrow.
- TarikDogovoreno. Spavaj dobro.Agreed. Sleep well.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good night” translations and entries laku noć, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries noć, CC BY-SA 4.0.
