bonne nuit et doux rêves
The English phrase "goodnight sweet dreams" is translated into French as bonne nuit et doux rêves.
bonne nuit et doux rêves is a phrase used to wish someone a restful sleep and pleasant dreams before they go to bed. It is most commonly used in an intimate or affectionate context, such as between romantic partners, family members or close friends.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal combination of bonne nuit (good night) and doux rêves (sweet dreams).
Which one should you use?
While bonne nuit et doux rêves is a direct way to say the phrase, a very common alternative is the imperative phrase Fais de beaux rêves, which literally means "Make beautiful dreams".
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase doux rêves, the adjective doux must be in the masculine plural form to agree with the masculine plural noun rêves.
Did you know?
- The French phrase faire des rêves is used for dreaming, but if you are dreaming while awake, the language uses the different verb rêvasser.
- The word doux can mean 'sweet' when talking about dreams, but it also means 'soft' when describing a fabric or 'mild' when describing weather.
- The word doux in the phrase comes from the Latin 'dulcem', which is a distant relative of the English word 'dulcet'.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are saying goodnight before going to their separate rooms.
- GabrielJe suis fatigué, je vais dormir.I am tired, I am going to sleep.
- ManonMoi aussi. On se voit demain.Me too. We will see each other tomorrow.
- GabrielBonne nuit et doux rêves, Manon.Goodnight and sweet dreams, Manon.
- ManonMerci, toi aussi Gabriel !Thank you, you too Gabriel!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries doux, et, nuit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
