que duermas bien
/ke dweɾmas bjen/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'have a good sleep' is translated as que duermas bien.
This phrase is used to wish someone a restful night of sleep. An alternative often used is que descanses, which focuses on resting rather than the act of sleeping.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, que duermas bien translates to 'that you sleep well', with the 'may' being implied by the use of the subjunctive.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the subjunctive mood because it expresses a wish.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying que duermas bien is occasionally paired with the gesture of crossing oneself or mentioning a saint for protection during the night.
- The word bien descends from the Latin 'bene' and is linked to the word 'bonus'. This makes it a linguistic cousin to the English word 'bonus'.
- The phrase que duermas bien is often a response to buenas noches. While 'good night' is a greeting, this phrase is specifically a parting wish.
Examples in context
- Buenas noches, señora González. Que tenga una buena noche de descanso.Good evening, Mrs. Gonzalez. Have a good night's sleep.
- Hasta mañana, hermano. Que descanses.See you tomorrow, brother. Have a good rest.
- Que duermas bien, hasta mañana.Have a good sleep, see you tomorrow.
- Descansa mucho y que duermas bien.Rest a lot and have a good sleep.
- Es tarde, que duermas bien.It is late, have a good sleep.
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are saying goodnight before going to their separate rooms.
- LucíaYa es hora de ir a la cama.It is already time to go to bed.
- JavierSí, estoy muy cansado.Yes, I am very tired.
- LucíaQue duermas bien, Javier.Have a good sleep, Javier.
- JavierGracias, Lucía. Igualmente.Thanks, Lucía. You too.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, que, CC BY-SA 4.0.
