Geros nakties
The English phrase "have a good night" is expressed in Lithuanian as Geros nakties.
Geros nakties is used to wish someone a pleasant night before they go to sleep or leave for the evening. You may also use the informal alternative Gero miego!, which translates to "good sleep".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "of good night". Here, geros is the feminine genitive form of "good" and nakties is the genitive form of "night".
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike English, which uses the nominative "good night", Lithuanian uses the genitive case to express a wish for a certain quality of time.
Did you know?
- While Geros nakties is the standard wish, Lithuanians often use the word Skanios 'delicious' when wishing someone a 'sweet' or 'tasty' sleep with the phrase Skanaus miego!
- Lithuanian is one of the most conservative living languages in the world, meaning the grammar used in Geros nakties is closer to ancient Sanskrit than many other modern European languages.
- The word naktis 'night' is a linguistic fossil that preserves an ancient Indo-European root, making it a close relative to the English word 'night' and the Latin 'nocte'.
Examples in context
- Gero miego, mylimasis!Good sleep, my beloved!
- Geros nakties!Have a good night!
- Visiems čia geros nakties.Good night to everyone here.
Example conversation
Eglė and Lukas are saying goodbye before going to their separate rooms to sleep.
- EglėAš eду miegoti. Geros nakties, Lukašai.I am going to sleep. Have a good night, Lukas.
- LukasAčiū, Egle. Tau irgi Geros nakties.Thanks, Eglė. Have a good night to you too.
- EglėKitos savaitės planus aptarsime rytojaus.We will discuss next week's plans tomorrow.
- LukasSutinku. Skaniausių sapnų!I agree. Sweet dreams!
