Buona notte
To say "have a good night" in Italian, you use Buona notte.
Buona notte is a parting wish used when someone is retiring to sleep or when a social gathering is ending very late at night. Unlike the English "Good night", which can occasionally function as a greeting, Buona notte is used almost exclusively as a way to say goodbye when the night is over.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective buona (good) and the noun notte (night).
Which one should you use?
You should distinguish Buona notte from Buona serata. Use Buona serata to wish someone a pleasant evening while they are still out or active. Use Buona notte specifically when someone is going to sleep or the night is ending.
Did you know?
- In some regions, people might use the more colloquial Sogni d'oro which translates to 'dreams of gold' instead of the standard Buona notte.
- The word notte is a direct descendant of the Latin word nox, which is also the root of the English word 'equinox'.
- In some regions of Italy, it is common to say Notte! as a shorthand version of Buona notte when speaking with close friends or family.
Examples in context
- Spero tu abbia una buona serata.I hope you have a good evening.
- Grazie, anche a te.Thank you, you too.
- Buona notte a tutti, dormite bene!Good night, everyone, sleep well!
- Buona notte, grazie Nonna!Good night, thank you, Nonna!
- Buona notte a tutti.Have a good night, everyone.
- Grazie, buona notte anche a te.Thank you, have a good night to you too.
- Vado a dormire, buona notte.I am going to sleep, have a good night.
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Martina are saying goodbye at the end of a late evening walk.
- MartinaÈ tardi, devo tornare a casa.It is late, I must go home.
- LorenzoVa bene, buona notte Martina.Alright, have a good night, Martina.
- MartinaBuona notte Lorenzo, a domani.Have a good night, Lorenzo, see you tomorrow.
- LorenzoA domani!See you tomorrow!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries notte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
