buenas noches
/ˌbwenas ˈnot͡ʃes/
In Spanish, "goodnight to a man" is expressed as buenas noches.
Buenas noches is used to say both "good evening" and "goodnight". Unlike in English, where "good evening" is a greeting and "goodnight" is a farewell, this phrase works both when arriving in the evening and when departing to go to sleep.
Which one should you use?
While you may be looking for a way to address a man specifically, buenas noches is gender-neutral. It is used regardless of whether you are speaking to a man, a woman or a group of people.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is grammatically feminine and plural. It consists of the feminine plural adjective buenas and the feminine plural noun noches.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌbwenas ˈnotʃes/
When do people say it?
In Latin America, it is common to use the phrase Que descanses to mean "Rest well" when saying goodbye at night.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish dialects, the phrase buenas noches is used ironically to wake someone up who has slept too late into the day.
- While buenas noches is a polite standard, it is common in many Spanish-speaking cultures to accompany a farewell at night with a beso or a light kiss on the cheek, even between acquaintances.
- In some regions, people shorten the greeting to just buenas when entering a shop or meeting someone, which can be used at any time of day or night.
Examples in context
- Buenas noches, señorGoodnight, sir.
- Deseo que tenga una buena nocheI wish you a goodnight.
- Le deseo una noche llena de pazI wish you a night full of peace.
- Descanse y tenga dulces sueñosRest and have sweet dreams.
- Que tengas una buena nocheHave a goodnight.
- Pasa una noche tranquilaHave a peaceful night.
- Dulces sueñosSweet dreams.
- Hasta mañana, descansaSee you tomorrow, rest well.
- Buenas noches, amigoGoodnight, friend.
- Que tengas lindos sueñosHave lovely dreams.
- Te deseo dulces sueños, mi amorI wish you sweet dreams, my love.
- Descansa, mi vidaRest, my love.
- Descansa, cariñoRest, sweetheart.
- Él dijo buenas noches antes de irse.He said goodnight before leaving.
- ¡Buenas noches, mi amigo!Goodnight, my friend!
Example conversation
Alejandro is leaving a social gathering and saying goodbye to Sofía.
- AlejandroBuenas noches, Sofía.Goodnight, Sofía.
- SofíaBuenas noches, Alejandro. Descansa.Goodnight, Alejandro. Rest well.
- AlejandroGracias, nos vemos mañana.Thanks, see you tomorrow.
- SofíaHasta mañana.See you tomorrow.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry buenas noches, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
