bona nit
[ˈbo̞.nə ˈnit]
bona nit is the Catalan way to say good night.
This phrase is used exclusively as a farewell when leaving someone or going to sleep, not as a greeting upon arrival.
Meaning: a farewell (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the feminine adjective bona (good) and the feminine noun nit (night).
How does it change in a sentence?
Because nit is a feminine noun, the adjective must be the feminine form bona rather than the masculine bon.
Did you know?
- In some Catalan-speaking regions, people might say bona nit while performing a kiss on both cheeks as a final farewell.
- The word nit shares a common ancestor with the English word 'night' and the Latin 'nox', making them distant linguistic cousins.
- In a poetic or highly formal context, one might see the archaic form 'nuyt' in historical Catalan texts, which is the direct predecessor to the modern nit.
Examples in context
- Bona nit a tothom!Good night, everyone!This example shows how to use bona nit to address a group.Tatoeba #5161936 by kballol, translation #1082672 by MUIRIEL
- Bona nit.Good night!This example shows the standalone use of bona nit.Tatoeba #465514 by Espi, translation #426950 by Pun_intended
- Bona nit a tothomGood night, everyone
- Bona nit, que descansis bé.Good night, rest well.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Anna and Aleix are leaving a party to go home.
- AnnaJa nos n'anem, bona nit!We are leaving now, good night!
- AleixI vaya, bona nit Anna!Alright, good night Anna!
- AnnaEns veiem demà.See you tomorrow.
- AleixSí, fins demà!Yes, until tomorrow!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good night” translations and entries bona nit, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
