buenas noches mamá
/bwenas not͡ʃes mama/from spelling rules
In Spanish, buenas noches mamá is used to say good night mum.
The phrase is used to wish a mother a restful sleep or to say goodbye at night. Note that buenas noches can function both as a greeting when arriving somewhere at night and as a farewell when leaving or going to sleep.
Which one should you use?
While buenas noches mamá is the standard informal way to address a mother, Buenas noches, madre serves as a standard formal version. In some parts of Latin America, you may hear the familiar informal phrase Que pases una linda noche, vieja to mean 'Have a lovely night, Mum'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The phrase Que pases una linda noche, vieja is used in some parts of Latin America.
How does it change in a sentence?
When writing mamá, the final a must have a written accent to indicate that the stress is on the last syllable. In casual spoken Spanish, it is common to omit the comma before the person being addressed, though including the comma before the vocative is grammatically correct.
Did you know?
- Spanish uses a written accent on mamá to distinguish it from mama, which refers to a breast.
- In some cultures, saying buenas noches is accompanied by a kiss on the cheek, even among adult children and their mothers.
- While English speakers say 'good night' to indicate sleep, Spanish speakers might use que descanses to specifically wish someone a restful sleep.
Examples in context
- Buenas noches, madre. Descanse y sueñe con los angelitos.Good night, Mum. Rest up and dream with the angels.
- Buenas noches, mamá. ¡Dulces sueños!Good night, Mum. Sweet dreams!
- Que pases una linda noche, vieja. Te quiero mucho, mami.Have a lovely night, Mum. I love you so much, Mom.
- Buenas noches mamá, descansa mucho.Good night mum, rest a lot.
- Buenas noches mamá, te quiero mucho.Good night mum, I love you very much.
- Adiós, buenas noches mamá.Goodbye, good night mum.
Example conversation
Mateo is leaving the living room to go to bed.
- MateoYa me voy a dormir, buenas noches mamá.I am going to sleep now, good night mum.
- SofíaQue descanses, Mateo.Rest well, Mateo.
- MateoGracias, hasta mañana.Thanks, see you tomorrow.
- SofíaHasta mañana, hijo.See you tomorrow, son.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
