gute Nacht
/ˌɡutə ˈnaxt/
The English phrase "good night" is translated in German as gute Nacht.
gute Nacht is used as a farewell phrase when someone is actually going to sleep. It is very frequently paired with the imperative Schlaf gut (sleep well) when saying goodbye to someone at night.
Meaning: a farewell (phrase)
Which one should you use?
While gute Nacht is a farewell used when someone is retiring to sleep, Guten Abend (good evening) is a greeting used when arriving somewhere or meeting someone in the evening.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase gute Nacht, the adjective gut takes the feminine -e ending because Nacht is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌɡutə ˈnaxt/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the masculine -en ending to say Guten Nacht, as this is incorrect. You should use the feminine -e ending: gute Nacht.
Did you know?
- The phrase gute Nacht is sometimes used sarcastically to end a conversation or a debate. In this context, it means 'I am done talking to you' rather than 'go to sleep'.
- In some German regions, children are told Nachti Nacht instead of gute Nacht. This is a diminutive form used specifically as 'baby talk'.
- While gute Nacht is for sleeping, Germans may use the phrase Schlaf schön to tell someone to 'sleep beautifully'. It is a common emotional variation of 'sleep well'.
Examples in context
- Gute Nacht! Schlaf gut!Good night, sleep tight.This example shows how to use gute Nacht alongside a wish for someone to sleep well.Tatoeba #5320092 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #64834 by shekitten
- Gute Nacht! Bis morgen!Good night and see you tomorrow.This example shows how to use gute Nacht when mentioning seeing someone the next day.Tatoeba #12561588 by Waldelfe, translation #9921723 by lucasmg123
- Ich sagte ihm gute Nacht.I wished him a good night.This example demonstrates the use of gute Nacht when describing the act of wishing someone a good night.Tatoeba #10078824 by wolfgangth, translation #457127 by FeuDRenais
- Gute Nacht, Herr Müller. Vielen Dank für Ihre Hilfe heute.Good night, Mr. Müller. Thank you for your help today.
- Gute Nacht, ihr Lieben. Schlaft gut und bis morgen!Good night, my dears. Sleep well and see you tomorrow!
- 50 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are saying goodbye at the end of a phone call.
- LukasEs ist schon spät, gute Nacht!It is already late, good night!
- SarahGute Nacht, Lukas!Good night, Lukas!
- LukasTräum was Schönes.Dream something beautiful.
- SarahDas mache ich, bis morgen!I will, see you tomorrow!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good night” translations and entries gute Nacht, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
