iyi geceler
/i.ji ɟe.d͡ʒeˈleɾ/
The English phrase "good night" is iyi geceler in Turkish.
iyi geceler is used exclusively as a farewell when parting ways at night or before going to sleep, not as a greeting upon arriving.
Meaning: a farewell (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of iyi (good) and geceler (nights), which is the plural form of gece (night).
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase a complete sentence meaning "I wish you a good night", you can add the verb dilerim (I wish) to create iyi geceler dilerim.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 4th syllable. The sounds are: /i/ as in cr[ee]k, /j/ as in [y]es, /ɟ/ as in ar[g]ue, /dʒ/ as in [j]ump and /ɾ/ as in AmE a[t]om.
When do people say it?
Among friends or family, you might also use Tatlı rüyalar, which means "sweet dreams".
Did you know?
- The adjective iyi traces back to the Proto-Turkic root *ed-, meaning 'thing' or 'goods', suggesting that 'good' was originally defined by the quality of an object.
- If you want to sound more poetic or formal, you can say Geceniz hayırlı olsun, which translates more closely to 'May your night be blessed'.
- While iyi geceler is a farewell, Turkish speakers use iyi akşamlar (good evenings) as both a greeting and a farewell from late afternoon until the end of the night.
Examples in context
- Tom, iyi geceler de.Say good night, Tom.This sentence is useful for practicing how to tell someone to say iyi geceler.Tatoeba #3603199 by vvv123, translation #3371181 by CK
- Ona iyi geceler diledim.I told him good night.This sentence shows the use of iyi geceler after the verb meaning to wish or tell.Tatoeba #3313435 by deyta, translation #3249371 by nava
- Bana "iyi geceler" dedi.She told me "good night."This sentence shows how iyi geceler is used in reported speech.Tatoeba #5034130 by tnnglue, translation #5030217 by scheherezhad
- 43 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zeynep and Can are leaving a dinner party to go home.
- ZeynepEve gidince bana haber ver.Let me know when you get home.
- CanTamam, sana da iyi geceler.Okay, good night to you too.
- ZeynepTeşekkürler, görüşürüz.Thanks, see you.
- CanGörüşürüz, iyi geceler.See you, good night.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good night” translations and entries iyi geceler, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries iyi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
