góða nótt
[ˈkouːða ˈnouht]word by word
The English phrase "good night" is translated into Icelandic as góða nótt.
góða nótt is used specifically as a farewell when someone is going to sleep or leaving for the night, rather than a greeting.
Meaning: a farewell (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal translation of "good night", where góða is the feminine accusative form of góður (good) and nótt is "night".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the accusative case because it is an elliptical form of ég óska þér góða nótt (I wish you a good night).
When do people say it?
In Icelandic, the phrase is often followed by Dreymi þig vel (Sweet dreams) or Svefðu vel (Sleep well).
Did you know?
- The phrase Dreymi þig vel is a common companion to góða nótt and literally means 'dream yourself well'.
- In ancient Old Norse, the root of nótt was written as nátt, and the modern Icelandic pronunciation has shifted the vowel while keeping the structure almost identical to the Viking Age.
- The word nótt is a direct descendant of the Proto-Indo-European word *nókʷts, making it a distant linguistic relative of the English word 'night' and the Latin word 'nox'.
Examples in context
- Tom sagði góða nótt við Mary og fór.Tom said good night to Mary and left.This example shows the use of góða nótt as a farewell.Tatoeba #3997337 by Bergthor, translation #2539354 by CK
- Góða nótt. Dreymi þig vel.Good night. Sweet dreams.This example demonstrates using góða nótt alongside a wish for sweet dreams.Tatoeba #385248 by Swift, translation #2194 by laurafults
- Góða nótt Tatoeba. Við sjáumst á morgun.Good night, Tatoeba. See you tomorrow.This example shows how to use góða nótt before saying you will see someone tomorrow.Tatoeba #1979339 by volhardt, translation #1698425 by Amastan
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gunnar and Katrín are saying goodbye at the end of the day.
- GunnarGóða nótt, Katrín.Good night, Katrín.
- KatrínTakk, góða nótt, Gunnar.Thanks, good night, Gunnar.
- GunnarVið sjáumst á morgun.See you tomorrow.
- KatrínJá, bless bless.Yes, bye bye.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good night” translations and entries góða nótt, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (góða, nótt) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nótt, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
