lahko noč
/laxkóː nóːt͡ʃ/
In Slovenian, "good night" is expressed as lahko noč.
The phrase lahko noč is used exclusively as a farewell when someone is going to sleep or leaving for the night. It is not used as a greeting upon arrival.
Meaning: a farewell (phrase)
Which one should you use?
Unlike the English "good night", which can sometimes be used as a greeting in very specific contexts, lahko noč is strictly a parting phrase.
How do you pronounce it?
/laxkóː nóːtʃ/
Did you know?
- Unlike English, where 'good' is used for almost every time-of-day greeting, the word for 'good' dober is completely absent from the Slovenian phrase for 'good night'.
- In very informal settings or when speaking to children, Slovenians might say lulu or other baby-talk variations instead of the standard lahko noč.
- The word lahko is related to the English word 'light', not 'easy' as it might appear to a learner through its modern meaning of 'easy' or 'possible'.
Examples in context
- Lahko noč!Good night!Tatoeba #5651848 by ThomasFAustria, translation #426950 by Pun_intended
- Lahko noč.Good night.Tatoeba #12585745 by Adelpa, translation #2362724 by NotApplicable
Example conversation
Zala and Matic are going to bed.
- ZalaŽe sem utrujena. Lahko noč, Matic.I am already tired. Good night, Matic.
- MaticTudi jaz. Lahko noč, Zala.Me too. Good night, Zala.
- ZalaSpi sladko!Sleep tight!
- MaticHvala, ti tudi.Thanks, you too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good night” translations and entries lahko noč, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lahko, noč, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
