おやすみなさい、良い夢を
oyasuminasai, yoi yume o
To say "good night sweet dreams" in Japanese, you use おやすみなさい、良い夢を (oyasuminasai, yoi yume o).
The phrase is used to wish someone a restful sleep and pleasant dreams before they go to bed. The first part, おやすみなさい, is the most common way to say "good night" in Japanese. The second part, 良い夢を, is an affectionate or poetic addition often used in close relationships or written messages to wish someone sweet dreams.
What does it mean word for word?
The expression 良い夢を (yoi yume o) literally means "good dreams" followed by a particle that implies a verb like "have" or "see" is omitted.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle を (o) at the end of 良い夢を makes the phrase an elliptical wish, functioning as "May you have good dreams".
How do you pronounce it?
oyasuminasai, yoi yume o
When do people say it?
Adding 良い夢を makes the standard greeting more personal and is typically used in close relationships or in written messages to convey extra warmth.
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, wishing someone 良い夢を (yoi yume o) can feel overly dramatic or like a line from a movie if said aloud to a partner.
- While おやすみなさい is a greeting, the core verb 休む (yasumu) can also mean 'to be absent' from school or work.
- Japanese uses the concept of 'seeing' a dream 夢を見る (yume o miru) rather than 'having' a dream as English does.
Examples in context
- おやすみなさい、良い夢を！Good night. Sweet dreams.This sentence shows how to use the full phrase おやすみなさい、良い夢を.Tatoeba #369387 by Trank, translation #2194 by laurafults
- もう寝るね。おやすみなさい、良い夢を！Mou neru ne. Oyasuminasai, yoi yume o!I'm going to sleep now. Good night, sweet dreams!
Example conversation
A couple is saying goodnight before going to sleep.
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣、そろそろ寝ようか。Yui, sorosoro neyō ka.Yui, shall we go to sleep now?
- 結衣 Yuiそうだね。大翔もおやすみなさい。Sō da ne. Daishō mo oyasuminasai.You're right. Good night to you too, Daishō.
- 大翔 Hirotoおやすみなさい、良い夢を。Oyasuminasai, yoi yume o.Good night, sweet dreams.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとう。あなたもね。Arigatō. Anata mo ne.Thank you. You too.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
