dobranoc
/dɔˈbra.nɔt͡s/
The English phrase "good night" is translated into Polish as dobranoc.
Dobranoc is used exclusively as a farewell when someone is leaving for the night or going to sleep. You should use this phrase when parting, rather than as a greeting upon arrival.
Meaning: a farewell (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The word dobranoc is a contraction of the phrase dobra noc, which literally means "good night".
Which one should you use?
While dobranoc is a farewell used when parting, dobry wieczór is the greeting used when arriving. If you wish to say "have a peaceful night", you can use Spokojnej nocy.
How do you pronounce it?
/dɔˈbra.nɔts/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The Polish word noc shares a deep ancestral root with the English word 'night', both descending from the Proto-Indo-European word *nókʷts.
- In some very traditional Polish rural areas, the phrase dobranoc might be paired with a sign of the cross before sleep, blending the linguistic farewell with a religious custom.
- The word dobra in dobranoc is the feminine form of 'good', because the word for 'night' noc is a feminine noun in Polish grammar.
Examples in context
- Dobranoc, Tatoeba. Widzimy się jutro.Good night, Tatoeba. See you tomorrow.This example shows how to use dobranoc in a parting sentence.Tatoeba #3084376 by jeedrek, translation #1698425 by Amastan
- Kiedy idziemy spać, mówimy "dobranoc".When we go to bed, we say "good night".This sentence demonstrates the context of when to say dobranoc.Tatoeba #535517 by zipangu, translation #29083 by al_ex_an_der
- Dobranoc, Tom!Good night, Tom!This is a simple example of using dobranoc when addressing someone by name.Tatoeba #2841995 by MarekMazurkiewicz, translation #2851102 by mela
- Dobranoc, Panie Kowalski. Życzę Pańskiej rodzinie spokojnej nocy.Good night, Mr. Kowalski. I wish your family a peaceful night.
- Spokojnej nocy, Pani Nowak. Życzę wszystkiego dobrego.Have a peaceful night, Mrs. Nowak. I wish you all the best.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Agnieszka and Tomasz are ending their day at home.
- AgnieszkaJest już bardzo późno.It is very late already.
- TomaszTak, czas iść do łóżka.Yes, it is time to go to bed.
- AgnieszkaDobranoc, Tomaszu.Good night, Tomasz.
- TomaszDobranoc, Agnieszko.Good night, Agnieszka.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good night” translations and entries dobranoc, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dobranoc, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
