góða nótt
[ˈkouːða ˈnouht]word by word
The Icelandic phrase for goodnight is góða nótt.
góða nótt is used as a farewell when leaving someone for the night or as a wish for someone who is going to sleep.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal combination of the adjective góða (good) and the noun nótt (night).
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase góða nótt, the adjective góð takes the feminine accusative singular ending -a to agree with the feminine noun nótt.
Did you know?
- Because of the 'Midnight Sun' in summer, an Icelander might say góða nótt while the sun is still shining brightly in the sky.
- In Icelandic mythology, Nótt is not just a word for 'night' but the name of a giantess who is the personification of night and the daughter of the primordial being.
- The word nótt shares a common ancestor with the English word 'night' and the German word 'Nacht' through the Proto-Indo-European root *nókʷts.
Examples in context
- Ég bauð foreldrum mínum góða nótt og fór í háttinn.I said goodnight to my parents and went to bed.This sentence shows how to use góða nótt when speaking to parents.Tatoeba #666876 by Swift, translation #9952881 by ravensfeather
- Góða nótt mamma.Goodnight, Mother.This sentence shows how to use góða nótt when addressing your mother.Tatoeba #870143 by Swift, translation #869217 by ColinG
- Góða nótt, allir.Goodnight, everyone.
Example conversation
Jón and Katrín are going to sleep.
- JónÉg er búinn að sofna næstum.I am almost asleep.
- KatrínÉg ætla líka að sofa núna.I am going to sleep now too.
- JónGóða nótt, Katrín.Goodnight, Katrín.
- KatrínGóða nótt, Jón.Goodnight, Jón.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry góða nótt, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (góða, nótt) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nótt, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
