nos da
/ˌnoːs ˈdaː/
The English phrase "good night" is translated into Welsh as nos da.
nos da is the most common and widely used way to say "good night" in Welsh.
Meaning: a farewell (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of nos (night) and da (good).
How does it change in a sentence?
In Welsh, the adjective da (good) follows the noun nos (night).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌnoːs ˈdaː/
Did you know?
- The word nos shares a deep ancestral root with the English word 'night', as both descend from the Proto-Indo-European word *nókʷts.
- Welsh uses the same word da for 'good' in nos da as it does to describe something that is 'correct' or 'right' in a moral or functional sense.
- If you were in Cornwall or Brittany, you would hear very similar words for night, such as 'nos' or 'noz', due to their shared Celtic roots.
Examples in context
- Nos da.Good night.This example shows the use of nos da.Tatoeba #7035604 by azraelgnosis, translation #2362724 by NotApplicable
- Nos da, diolch am y croeso!Good night, thank you for the hospitality!
- Nos da i ti, Rhiannon.Good night to you, Rhiannon.
- Nos da i bawb.Good night to everyone.
Example conversation
Owain and Rhiannon are going to bed.
- OwainWyt ti'n barod i cysgu, Rhiannon?Are you ready to sleep, Rhiannon?
- RhiannonYdw, Owain. Dw i'n flinedig.Yes, Owain. I am tired.
- OwainNos da i ti.Good night to you.
- RhiannonNos da, Owain.Good night, Owain.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good night” translations and entries nos da, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries da, nos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
