शुभ रात्रि
śubh rātri/ʃʊbʱ ɾɑːt̪.ɾiː/
To say "have a good night" in Hindi, use शुभ रात्रि (śubh rātri).
शुभ रात्रि is a polite phrase used to wish someone a pleasant night before they go to sleep or leave for the evening. While it literally translates to "good night," it is used as a parting wish rather than a greeting when arriving.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of शुभ (śubh), meaning "good" or "auspicious" and रात्रि (rātri), meaning "night".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
शुभ रात्रि is a formal and standard way to say "good night," often used in polite speech or writing. For more formal variations, you can use Aapko shubh raatri ho or Shubh raatri ki shubhkaamnayein, which means "wishing you good night". Among friends and family in Hindi-speaking contexts, some people may simply use the English phrase "Sweet dreams".
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is śubh rātri. It is pronounced /ʃʊbʱ ɾɑːt̪.ɾiː/ and consists of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word रात्रि shares a very ancient ancestor with the English word 'night', tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁réh₁-trih₂.
- In many Indian households, instead of using a phrase for 'good night', people are more likely to use religious greetings or wishes for protection before sleep.
- The word शुभ doesn't just mean 'good' in a general sense, but specifically carries the meaning of 'auspicious' or bringing good fortune.
Examples in context
- शुभ रात्रि।shubh raatri.Have a good night.
- सबको शुभ रात्रि।sabko shubh raatri.Good night to everyone.
- अब सोने का समय है, शुभ रात्रि।ab sone ka samay hai, shubh raatri.It is time to sleep now, good night.
Example conversation
Aditya and Pooja are ending their phone call before bed.
- आदित्य Adityaकल बात करते हैं, शुभ रात्रि।kal baat karte hain, shubh raatri.Let's talk tomorrow, good night.
- पूजा Poojaठीक है, शुभ रात्रि, आदित्य।theek hai, shubh raatri, Aditya.Okay, good night, Aditya.
- आदित्य Adityaअच्छे सपने देखना।achhe sapne dekhna.Sweet dreams.
- पूजा Poojaधन्यवाद, तुम्हें भी।dhanyavaad, tumhe bhi.Thank you, you too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry शुभ रात्रि, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries रात्रि, शुभ, शुभ रात्रि, CC BY-SA 4.0.
