boa noite, meu amigo
/ˈbo(w).ɐ ˈnoj.t͡ʃi mew aˈmi.ɡu/word by word
The English phrase "good night, my friend" is translated into Portuguese as boa noite, meu amigo.
boa noite, meu amigo is a friendly greeting or farewell used when leaving someone or going to sleep at night. While English speakers use "good evening" to greet people and "good night" to say goodbye, Portuguese speakers use boa noite for both arriving and leaving in the evening. This phrase is a farewell, whereas bom dia is used for greetings in the morning.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase must change to match the gender or number of the person you are addressing. If the friend is female, you should use boa noite, minha amiga. To address a group of friends, change the possessive pronoun and the noun to the plural forms boa noite, meus amigos.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbo(w).ɐ ˈnoj.tʃi mew aˈmi.ɡu/
When do people say it?
In Brazil, when saying good night, people often add affectionate terms or well-wishes. You might hear someone say beijo (kiss), abraço (hug) or the expression durma com os anjos (sleep with the angels).
Did you know?
- The word boa shares the exact same spelling as the word for a large constrictor snake, such as a 'boa constrictor'.
- The word amigo shares a linguistic root with the Latin verb amō, meaning 'to love'.
- The word amigo is a close relative to the French ami and the Italian amico, reflecting a shared history across Romance languages.
Examples in context
- Boa noite, meu amigo, durma bem.Good night, my friend, sleep well.
- Vou indo agora. Boa noite, meu amigo!I'm heading out now. Good night, my friend!
- Até amanhã! Boa noite, meu amigo.See you tomorrow! Good night, my friend.
Example conversation
Juliana and Rodrigo are saying goodbye after dinner.
- JulianaJá está tarde. Vou para casa.It is already late. I am going home.
- RodrigoTudo bem. A gente se fala depois.All right. We will talk later.
- JulianaBoa noite, meu amigo!Good night, my friend!
- RodrigoBoa noite, Juliana. Vá com cuidado.Good night, Juliana. Go carefully.
