おやすみなさい
oyasuminasai
In Japanese, "good night" is said as おやすみなさい (oyasuminasai).
This phrase is used exclusively as a farewell before going to bed or when leaving someone's company late at night. It is not used as a greeting upon arrival.
Meaning: a farewell (phrase)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The polite version is おやすみなさい, which is used with superiors or people you are not close to. The shortened form おやすみ is the informal version used among friends and family.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Tohoku region, the variation お晩です is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can add ね to the end of the phrase to say おやすみね.
How do you pronounce it?
oyasuminasai
Did you know?
- The polite version おやすみなさい contains the word なさい, which is the imperative form of the verb 'to do', making the phrase literally 'do rest'.
- The kanji for 'rest' in the root of the phrase, 休, is composed of two parts: a person and a tree, suggesting a person leaning against a tree to rest.
- While おやすみなさい is the standard for sleep, if you are leaving a party or a gathering late at night, you should use お先に失礼します rather than a 'good night' phrase.
Examples in context
- おやすみなさい、ママ。Good night, Mom.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use おやすみなさい when speaking to a mother.Tatoeba #227480 by bunbuku, translation #64833 by shanghainese
- パパ、おやすみなさい。Good night, Dad.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use おやすみなさい when speaking to a father.Tatoeba #11848292 by small_snow, translation #11790316 by CM
- 「トム、おやすみなさい」「メアリー、おやすみ」"Good night, Tom." "Good night, Mary."This sentence is useful for showing a dialogue using おやすみなさい and its shortened form おやすみ.Tatoeba #9553728 by small_snow, translation #9553722 by shekitten
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiyori and Ren are going to bed in their respective rooms.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮くん、おやすみなさい。Ren-kun, oyasuminasai.Good night, Ren.
- 蓮 Ren陽葵ちゃんもおやすみなさい。Hiyori-chan mo oyasuminasai.Good night to you too, Hiyori.
- 陽葵 Himariまた明日ね。Mata ashita ne.See you tomorrow.
- 蓮 Renうん、また明日。Un, mata ashita.Yeah, see you tomorrow.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry おやすみなさい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
