god natt
/ɡuː ˈnatː/
The English phrase "good night" is translated into Norwegian as god natt.
god natt is used as a farewell when someone is going to sleep or leaving for the night.
Meaning: a farewell (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective god (good) and the noun natt (night).
Which one should you use?
While god natt is a farewell used at the end of the day, other phrases like god dag (good day) or god kveld (good evening) are used as greetings.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡuː ˈnatː/
Did you know?
- The word god descends from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to join' or 'to unite'.
- While god natt is standard, Norwegians often use the phrase sov godt (sleep well) as a more affectionate alternative when someone is actually going to bed.
- If you see the word god written as goð in older texts, it does not mean 'good', but refers to a 'god' or deity.
Examples in context
- Jeg kysset henne god natt.I kissed her good night.This sentence demonstrates the use of god natt in a sentence.Tatoeba #10942681 by Mayk, translation #9302355 by CH
- God natt.Good night!This sentence shows god natt as a standalone exclamation.Tatoeba #2977030 by eirik174, translation #426950 by Pun_intended
- God natt, pappa.Good night, Dad.This sentence shows how to use god natt when addressing a family member.Tatoeba #12561750 by Barend, translation #11790316 by CM
- Takk for en flott kveld. God natt!Thank you for a great evening. Good night!
- Takk for at du kom. Ønsker deg en god natt!Thank you for coming. Wishing you a good night!
- Vi ses i morgen. Sov godt!See you tomorrow. Sleep well!
- Ha det bra! Ha en god natt!Take care! Have a good night!
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Magnus and Ingrid are leaving a small gathering at a friend's house.
- MagnusDet var en hyggelig kveld.It was a lovely evening.
- IngridJa, vi må hjem nå. God natt, Magnus.Yes, we must go home now. Good night, Magnus.
- MagnusGod natt, Ingrid. Vi snakkes.Good night, Ingrid. We'll talk soon.
- IngridVi sees i morgen!See you tomorrow!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good night” translations and entries god natt, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries god, god natt, natt, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
