晚安
wǎn'ān
To say "have a good night" in Mandarin, use 晚安 (wǎn'ān).
晚安 is the most common and widely used phrase for "Good night" in Mandarin. It is used to say goodbye to someone before they go to sleep or when leaving late in the evening. While similar to the English "good night", 晚安 is more heavily associated with the act of retiring for sleep.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 晚安 is composed of 晚 (wǎn), meaning "evening/late" and 安 (ān), meaning "peace/calm".
How do you pronounce it?
wǎn'ān
When do people say it?
When saying goodbye to someone before bedtime, you can use 好梦 (Sweet dreams) or the affectionate phrase 晚安，好好休息 (Good night, rest well) with those you are close to.
Did you know?
- The concept of 'peace' in 晚安 is related to the word 公安 (public security), which literally means 'public peace'.
- The character 安 (peace) is a pictograph depicting a woman 女 standing next to a roof 宀, reflecting an ancient belief that a home is peaceful when a woman is present.
- While English speakers say 'good night' to end an evening, saying 晚安 to a stranger or a boss in a professional setting can sometimes feel unexpectedly intimate or overly personal.
Examples in context
- 晚安，好梦！Good night, sweet dreams!
- 好梦，晚安！Sweet dreams, good night!
- 晚安，好梦。Good night, sweet dreams.
- 明天见，晚安。Míngtiān jiàn, wǎn'ān.See you tomorrow, good night.
- 妈妈，晚安。Māma, wǎn'ān.Good night, Mom.
Example conversation
Junjie and Yuting are saying goodbye over a phone call late at night.
- 俊杰 Junjie你也早点休息，晚安。Nǐ yě zǎodiǎn xiūxi, wǎn'ān.You should rest early too, good night.
- 雨婷 Yuting好的，晚安，俊杰。Hǎo de, wǎn'ān, Jùnjié.Okay, good night, Junjie.
- 俊杰 Junjie晚安，雨婷。Wǎn'ān, Yǔtíng.Good night, Yuting.
- 雨婷 Yuting晚安。Wǎn'ān.Good night.
