labanaktis
[lɐ²ˈbɑːnɐktʲɪs]
The English phrase 'good night' in Lithuanian is expressed as labanaktis. Wiktionary also lists labos nakties and saldžių sapnų.
Meaning: a farewell (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Lithuanian | IPA |
|---|---|
| labanaktis | [lɐ²ˈbɑːnɐktʲɪs] (narrow) |
| labos nakties | |
| saldžių sapnų |
In Lithuanian, 'good night' is used as a farewell phrase. You can use labos nakties to wish someone a good night or follow it with saldžių sapnų to wish them sweet dreams.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase labos nakties is in the genitive case and literally means 'of a good night'. The phrase saldžių sapnų is the genitive plural form of 'sweet dreams', literally meaning 'of sweet dreams'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using 'good night' as a wish, you must use the genitive case labos nakties instead of the nominative form gera naktis.
Did you know?
- Lithuanian is often described as a 'living fossil' because its grammar and vocabulary have remained remarkably close to ancient Proto-Indo-European, making words like naktis sound similar to their cousins in distant languages.
- Depending on the region, some Lithuanians might use the word miegok meaning 'sleep' as a shorthand farewell when someone is visibly tired, replacing the formal labanaktis.
- The word naktis shares a deep ancestral root with the English word 'night' through their shared Proto-Indo-European origin.
Examples in context
- Ji palinkėjo man labos nakties.She wished me good night.This sentence shows how to use the form labos nakties.Tatoeba #1611246 by fanty, translation #314139 by CK
- Atsisveinčiu, labanaktis.Goodbye, good night.
Example conversation
Austėja and Tomas are going to their separate rooms to sleep.
- AustėjaLabanaktis, Tomai.Good night, Tomas.
- TomasLabanaktis, Austėja.Good night, Austėja.
- AustėjaSaldžių sapnų.Sweet dreams.
- TomasAčiū, tau taip pat.Thanks, you too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good night” translations and entries labanaktis, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
