Ways to say it
| Finnish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hyvää yötä | /ˈhyʋæː ˈyø̯tæ/ | |
| öitä | /ˈøi̯tæ/ | informal |
The phrase is used as a farewell to bid someone good night. You may also encounter the more poetic and formal expression Rauhallista yötä, which literally means "peaceful night".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase hyvää yötä is composed of the partitive form of the adjective hyvä (good) and the partitive form of the noun yö (night).
Which one should you use?
While hyvää yötä is the full, standard phrase, the single word öitä is used as a common, shortened informal way to say "good night". Literally, öitä means "nights".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Hyvää yötä is the standard formal way to say good night. In contrast, öitä is a casual, informal version. For a more poetic and formal tone, you can use Rauhallista yötä.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the standard phrase hyvää yötä, both words are in the partitive case, which is used here to express a wish or a greeting.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhyʋæː ˈyø̯tæ/
Did you know?
- While English speakers might say 'good night' to anyone leaving a late event, Finns generally save hyvää yötä specifically for someone who is actually going to bed.
- The informal öitä is a plural form. It is a shortened version of hyviä öitä, which literally translates to 'good nights'.
- Finnish has no single word for 'good night' because it must be constructed as a wish using a noun and an adjective.
Examples in context
- Hyvää yötä ja nuku hyvin!Good night and sleep tight!This sentence demonstrates how to use hyvää yötä alongside a wish for good sleep.Tatoeba #3742596 by Silja, translation #4597870 by Ricardo14
- Hyvää yötä. Kauniita unia.Good night. Sweet dreams.This sentence shows hyvää yötä used with a wish for sweet dreams.Tatoeba #2790186 by Orava, translation #2194 by laurafults
- Hyvää yötä, Tatoeba. Huomiseen!Good night, Tatoeba. See you tomorrow.This sentence shows hyvää yötä used as a farewell before saying see you tomorrow.Tatoeba #1979365 by ondo, translation #1698425 by Amastan
- Hyvää yötä kaikille!Good night, everyone!
- Öitä, nähdään huomenna!Good night, see you tomorrow!
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Juho are going to bed.
- SofiaOlen väsynyt. Hyvää yötä, Juho!I am tired. Good night, Juho!
- JuhoKiitos, hyvää yötä myös sinulle.Thanks, good night to you too.
- SofiaNähdään huomenna aamulla.See you tomorrow morning.
- JuhoJoo, nähdään huomenna.Yes, see you tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good night” translations and entries hyvää yötä, öitä, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries yötä, öitä, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
