bonne nuit, dors bien
The English phrase "good night, sleep well" is translated into French as bonne nuit, dors bien.
This phrase is used to wish someone a restful sleep before they go to bed. Note that you should use bonne soirée if you are wishing someone a good evening while they are still out socializing, whereas bonne nuit is specifically used when someone is actually going to bed.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form dors bien uses the informal "tu" imperative, which is used for friends, family or children.
Did you know?
- In France, it is common to accompany bonne nuit with a bisou, a light kiss on each cheek, even between family members who are not romantic partners.
- Parents often tell children fais dodo, a baby-talk version of 'go to sleep', instead of the standard dors bien.
- The word nuit shares a common ancestor with the English word 'night', tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root *nókʷts.
Examples in context
- Bonne nuit, dormez bienGood night, sleep well
- Passez une bonne nuit reposanteHave a good and restful night
- Fais de beaux rêvesHave beautiful dreams
- Bonne nuit, dors bien !Good night, sleep well!
- Bonne nuit, dors bien, à demain.Good night, sleep well, see you tomorrow.
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are saying goodbye at the end of the day.
- EmmaJe vais me coucher maintenant.I am going to bed now.
- HugoD'accord, bonne nuit, dors bien, Emma.Okay, good night, sleep well, Emma.
- EmmaMerci, bonne nuit, Hugo.Thank you, good night, Hugo.
- HugoÀ demain !See you tomorrow!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, nuit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
