buenas noches
/ˌbwenas ˈnot͡ʃes/
In Spanish, "good night" is translated as buenas noches.
Buenas noches is used to say both "good evening" when arriving and "good night" when departing. This differs from English, which distinguishes between a greeting and a farewell.
Meaning: a farewell (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is literally "good nights" because both buenas and noches are in the plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌbwenas ˈnotʃes/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying buenas noches is accompanied by a kiss on the cheek, even between acquaintances, whereas in English 'good night' is typically a verbal farewell.
- The word noches comes from the Latin 'noctis', which is a distant relative of the English word 'nocturnal'.
- In certain dialects, the phrase buenas noches can be used sarcastically to acknowledge someone who has just woken up very late in the day.
Examples in context
- Di buenas noches, Tom.Say good night, Tom.This sentence shows how to use buenas noches in a command.Tatoeba #3603143 by ficion, translation #3371181 by CK
- Le di las buenas noches.I wished him a good night.This sentence demonstrates using buenas noches as an object of a verb to mean wishing someone a good night.Tatoeba #1355207 by marcelostockle, translation #457127 by FeuDRenais
- Le dije "buenas noches".I told him "good night".This sentence shows how to use buenas noches as a direct quote.Tatoeba #8574799 by adaycito, translation #13101158 by frpzzd
- 39 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are leaving a dinner party.
- LucíaFue un placer verlos.It was a pleasure to see you all.
- DanielIgualmente, buenas noches.Likewise, good night.
- LucíaDescansa mucho, Lucía.Rest a lot, Lucía.
- DanielGracias, Javier, hasta mañana.Thanks, Javier, see you tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good night” translations and entries buenas noches, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
