boa noite
/ˈbo.ɐ ˈnoj.t͡ʃi/
The Portuguese phrase for "good night" is boa noite.
boa noite is used as a farewell when leaving a place or going to bed. It is important to note that unlike in English, boa noite is also used as a greeting when arriving somewhere during the evening.
Meaning: a farewell (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the feminine adjective boa (good) and the feminine noun noite (night).
How does it change in a sentence?
Because noite is a feminine noun, the adjective must be the feminine form boa rather than the masculine bom.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbo.ɐ ˈnoj.tʃi/. The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word boa is a homonym in Portuguese, as it also refers to the boa constrictor snake.
- In Brazil, boa noite is frequently paired with a light kiss on the cheek or a hug, even among acquaintances, depending on the region.
- While boa noite is the standard greeting, Brazilians often shorten it to just noite in casual settings when arriving or leaving.
Examples in context
- Dê boa noite, Tom.Say good night, Tom.This example shows how to use boa noite in a command.Tatoeba #5946673 by Ricardo14, translation #3371181 by CK
- Adeus e boa noite.Goodbye and good night.This example shows how to combine a goodbye with boa noite.Tatoeba #11136886 by carlosalberto, translation #11136879 by carlosalberto
- Eu disse boa noite.I said good night.This example shows the use of boa noite in the past tense.Tatoeba #2576132 by marcospcruz, translation #2405824 by CK
- Boa noite, Sr. Silva. Tenha uma boa noite de descanso.Good night, Mr. Silva. Have a restful sleep.
- Desejamos uma excelente noite, estimados convidados.Wishing you an excellent night, dear guests.
- Boa noite, meu amor. Bons sonhos!Good night, my love. Sweet dreams!
- Até amanhã! Durma bem!See you tomorrow! Sleep well!
- 38 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felipe and Juliana are leaving a dinner party.
- FelipeObrigado pelo jantar, Juliana.Thank you for the dinner, Juliana.
- JulianaDe nada, Felipe. Boa noite!You're welcome, Felipe. Good night!
- FelipeBoa noite para você também.Good night to you too.
- JulianaAté amanhã.See you tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good night” translations and entries boa noite, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries boa, boa noite, noite, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
