What does it mean word for word?
Bonne nuit literally translates to "Good night", where bonne is the feminine form of "good" and nuit is "night".
Which one should you use?
Dors bien is the informal way to say "sleep well", used for friends, family or children. In contrast, Dormez bien is used for strangers or when speaking to a group.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase Bonne nuit, dors bien, the word dors is the second-person singular imperative form of the verb dormir (to sleep). If you are speaking to more than one person or using the formal vous form, you should change dors bien to dormez bien.
When do people say it?
While the phrase is a standard way to wish someone well, you can also use Fais de beaux rêves, which translates to "have beautiful dreams" and is used among close acquaintances.
Did you know?
- To a child, a French parent might say Fais dodo, a redundant, baby-talk version of 'sleep' that is used instead of the standard dors bien.
- While Bonne nuit is used right before sleep, French speakers use Bonsoir to say 'good evening' when arriving at a place or greeting someone after dark.
- The word nuit shares a common ancestor with the English word 'night' and the Latin 'nox', tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European word *nókʷts.
Examples in context
- Bonne soirée à tous et faites de beaux rêvesHave a great evening, everyone, and sweet dreams!
- Bonne nuit, dormez bien et faites de beaux rêvesGoodnight, sleep well, and have beautiful dreams
- Bonne nuit, dors bien !Goodnight, sleep well!
- Bonne nuit, dors bien, à demain.Goodnight, sleep well, see you tomorrow.
- Bonne nuit, dors bien, mon ami.Goodnight, sleep well, my friend.
Example conversation
Hugo is going to bed and Manon says goodbye.
- ManonTu vas te coucher maintenant ?Are you going to bed now?
- HugoOui, je suis très fatigué.Yes, I am very tired.
- ManonBonne nuit, dors bien, Hugo.Goodnight, sleep well, Hugo.
- HugoMerci, bonne nuit à toi aussi.Thank you, goodnight to you too.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, nuit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
